Lieke Martens is proud that she continues FHM has been voted Most Beautiful Sportswoman in the Netherlands. The 28-year-old attacker from Barcelona tells in the interview in the FHM500 (order it for free at wehkamp.nl!) about her good contact with Mikky Kiemeney, Frenkie de Jong’s girlfriend.
Martens has been active for the women’s team of Barcelona since 2017, while De Jong has been playing for the men’s department since 2019 and Ronald Koeman has been head coach there for a year. “I have regular contact with Mikky Kiemeney,” says Martens about the relationship with her compatriot. “I sometimes visit there and then I see Frenkie too. I was also invited to Ronald Koeman’s home once to come and have dinner. I thought it was really sweet that they had invited me for that. Koeman did not have it easy. is the manager of one of the biggest football clubs in the world. You have to have character for that.”
Martens is proud of her election as the Most Beautiful Sportswoman in the Netherlands. “Sport is of course number one, but it’s nice to hear that people like to watch you,” said the left winger. “Women playing soccer were usually not first identified in this area. They were always seen as a more masculine type of women with short haircuts. I like that the image of women’s football is changing. It’s also because the clothes are better. We no longer play in a tent, but in shorter shorts. It’s all a bit more feminine.”
About the accompanying sexy shoot for the FHM Martens had to think for a moment. “Normally shoots are related to my sports performance, now because of my looks. But it was a super fun team with nice people, so that was really chill. I’ve been in sports bra before, but this was definitely the sexiest shoot I’ve ever had I’ve done it before. At Zinzi I also look feminine, but that’s a little less naked than this. What appealed to me in this photo shoot is the combination of tough and feminine.”
Martens is happy with the development that women’s football has gone through in a short time. “Nowadays, as a young girl, you can dream of a professional career. I am proud that I succeeded. That all the time and energy that I put into it has paid off. I am not talking about the financial part, but that I can achieve my dream I have achieved: to become a full-time professional football player. I think the most beautiful thing is that we, all female players of today, have managed to make women’s football so popular. People now do like to watch women’s football. We no longer play on a side pitch, but in full stadiums. We all have the level to this level. You used to be an outcast as a footballing girl. Nowadays, women’s football is seen as normal, I think that’s the biggest victory.”
Lieke has a clear answer to the question of how women’s football can take the next step. “I think we have to move away from comparing women’s football to men’s football. Football is the biggest sport in the world and there are billions of fans. Women’s football is still a relatively young sport, so I understand where it comes from. But it’s unfair to compare with each other: men are faster, have more power and they also look faster. In tennis, hockey or swimming, there is never a comparison between men and women, if that comparison ends, I am sure that the attention will increase and that even more people can appreciate women’s football. Then it is up to us, the players, to raise the level even further.”
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