Man City and Man United can prove controversial Women's Euro stadium comments wrong in WSL run-in

It will be a relief when Manchester City and Manchester United resume their Women's Super League duel this weekend after a week of unhelpful headlines in the women's game - with Manchester at the heart of things.

First, during the recent international break, Northern Ireland boss Kenny Shiels sparked controversy when he suggested that their heavy defeat to England - with City and United players on the scoresheet - was a result of female players being more 'emotional' than men, so were prone to conceding goals in quick succession.

Shiels apologised, and was then backed by his captain, but the negative attention risked the positive strides forwards in recent years. Then, as players return to clubs for the domestic run-in, Iceland international Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir called the decision to hold Euro 2022 matches at City's academy stadium 'disrespectful'.

"It's embarrassing. It's not the respect [we deserve]," she said, calling the Academy Stadium within the City Football Academy a 'training ground'.

"Watch women's football today, they are filling out the stadiums. You see Barcelona and Madrid, 95,000 watching the game. They [Euros organisers] are not prepared that we will sell more tickets than 4,000.

"It's disrespectful towards women's football because it's so much bigger than people think. You think women's football is getting two steps ahead but then something comes up like that it's just a step back."

Iceland play two games at the Academy Stadium - with a seating capacity of around 4,000 - with all tickets for all three fixtures in the tournament sold out. The tournament opener at United's Old Trafford, and all England games, has sold out, but Gunnarsdottir says the choice of stadiums is not good enough.

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