Notables
What it’s really like to move clubs
Player transfers are a part of sports that can feel, well … transactional.
But beyond the numbers and headlines are real people moving across the country and sometimes beyond national borders, uprooting their lives to continue chasing a dream.
Take England international Georgia Stanway’s journey to Arsenal, which took her from Manchester City to becoming the first England woman to play for Bayern Munich before coming to north London. She took a chance in 2022 to test uncharted waters with the German team and helped build a dynasty.
Charlotte Harpur traveled to Munich in May, and spoke to Stanway again during a whirlwind few days last week, for a behind-the-scenes look at how a footballer actually moves clubs, including a great detail about two suitcases packed with baked beans.
I asked Charlotte a few questions to get the behind-the-scenes of the behind-the-scenes:
Charlotte, you’ve covered player moves before — what specifically did you learn in Stanway’s case?
💬 Player X moving from club Y to club Z is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things that have to align; timing and personal relations are key. The aspect that hit me the most was how much Stanway felt wanted by Arsenal and how influential that was in her decision-making.
Once the transfer is done, although a player may feel at home on the pitch, there are still some unexpected surprises, like finding out some of your wages are going to the church or the differences in countries’ medical insurance policies.
🎧 You can listen to more of Charlotte’s interview with Stanway here. I highly recommend it!
Your story has so many rich details. What was your favorite insight into Stanway’s life?
💬 It was when she had just moved from Manchester City to Bayern Munich. She had lugged her suitcases into a tiny lift of a high-rise building, walked into her studio apartment, closed the door, and thought: “Oh, s—! What have I got myself into?”
We have all been there, right? Professional athletes go through similar doubts of major life decisions just like us mere mortals, too.
First Looks
Money matters: Amid the drama of this men’s World Cup is an important reminder: Beginning this year, the U.S. men and women will split 80 percent of World Cup prize money, in accordance with the landmark collective bargaining agreement signed in 2022. Just for reaching the round of 16, the men earned $15 million. After U.S. Soccer’s 20 percent, the players and staff of the men’s and women’s teams each split at least $6 million.
Making memories: Brazil might be out of the men’s World Cup after losing to Norway yesterday, but Charlotte tells the tale of the 1994 team that still has an impact on a sleepy California town.
Pinky up: San Diego Wave’s Melanie Barcenas celebrated her goal in a 2-0 win over Gotham FC on Saturday with a tribute to Alex Morgan’s iconic tea-sipping celebration from the 2019 World Cup. Even better, Morgan, now a Wave investor, was there to witness it.
