Womens football deserves respect! Threatened with disappearance, Dijon players are taking aim at their management.

The players of DFCO, ranked 5th in D1 Arkéma, learned this week that their leaders were giving them “no guarantees” regarding next season and their professional status. In response, on Thursday, April 9, they issued a statement criticizing the irresponsibility of their management.

Clubs sacrificing women’s teams in times of financial difficulty: for the players, it’s a no-go! The professional players of DFCO, Dijon’s club, were informed on Monday, April 6, that their section might give up professionalism and be relegated to a lower level. The club released a statement explaining that they were “rethinking their model” and seeking a new owner for their women’s team.

“No guarantees can be given regarding the level of competition for next season,” read the statement. Despite holding a promising 5th place in D1 Arkéma, the top division of French women’s football, which is among the best leagues in the world, DFCO is in discussions with “two potential buyers,” but makes no promises to its players.

Indignant, the players issued a scathing statement on Thursday, April 9. Titled “Undesirable from day one,” this collective declaration denounces the club’s decision. They wrote, “20 years of commitment extinguish in the indifference of an absent leadership,” pointing out “confused and indifferent management.”

They regret that the leaders did not seek a new owner sooner and believe that “the presidency prevented any possible takeover” by demanding a too high amount to sell the women’s section. The players also criticized receiving the news of their section’s closure through a vague statement instead of honest communication, calling it a “total lack of understanding.”

“Leading is about taking responsibility, not abandoning. We play for this club. It should fight for us. We deserve respect. Women’s football deserves respect. Today, you decide, we endure,” they concluded. If such a successful team fails to find a buyer, it would send a very negative signal for women’s football. Through this statement, the DFCO players hope to raise visibility and facilitate the takeover of their section.