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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Top Brazilian football star signs for Malmö club

Brazilian superstar Marta will be donning the colours of FC Rosengård this season with the Swedish club hoping the investment will keep them at the top of the women's game.

Top Brazilian football star signs for Malmö club
Marta celebrates after scoring in the 2014 Uefa Champions League Women's Final. Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Marta, often dubbed the female Pele, has spent most of her professional career playing in the Swedish league. The 28-year-old has previously played for Umeå IK and most recently for Tyresö FF.

"We are delighted to sign Marta who is one of the best players in the world," FC Rosengård sport manager Erlin Nilsson told The Local after unveiling the South American forward to the media.

FC Rosengård, formerly known as LdB FC Malmö, scooped the Swedish title last season and have been keen on landing the Brazilian for some time.

Marta was out of contract with Tyresö FF and joined on a free transfer. No details on her salary have been revealed but Nilsson conceded to The Local that it fits into the club's existing budget.

"It was a very straightforward process as she wanted to come to the club. We came to an agreement quite quickly and it is fantastic news as she is an incredible player who will be a good role model for our younger players," said Nilsson.

The Brazilian scored two spectacular goals (video below) in the Women's Champions League final in May but it wasn't enough to prevent Tyresö FF from losing 4-3 to Wolsfburg in the final.

She told the press that she wanted to make "history" with FC Rosengård and help the club achieve success in Europe.

The club believe her signing could have a knock-on effect for the women's game in southern Sweden.

"I think the fans will be happy and hopefully it will generate more interest in the women's game. It can be difficult to get people to sit up and take notice of women's football but with Marta we'd like to think more people will come to the games" said Nilsson.

In a 2009 interview Marta said she felt she had the skills to play in the men's game. She was voted FIFA World Player of the Year five times in a row between 2006 – 2010.

Marta has signed a contract for the 2014 season with an option for another year. 

The Local/pr

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FOOTBALL

Women’s football match draws record crowd in Madrid

A record crowd of 60,739 watched a women's match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday, less than three months before the start of the World Cup.

Women's football match draws record crowd in Madrid
Atletico Madrid's midfielder Silvia Meseguer (L) vies with Barcelona FC's midfielder Vicky Losada during the match on Sunday. Photo: AFP

The attendance is the largest ever for a top-flight club match in European women's football while Atletico claimed the number also sets a new world record. 

“An historic record attendance for a club match! Today we have at the Wanda Metropolitano 60,739 spectators!”, read a post from the club's official Twitter account. 

“The crowd cheered up our girls and set a world record for an attendance at a women's club match,” Atletico added in a statement.    

Barça won 2-0 as goals from Asisat Oshoala and Toni Duggan mean the Catalans now sit just three points behind Atletico at the top of Liga Femenina. 

The bumper attendance exceeds the previous European record set, also in Spain, on January 30, when a crowd of 48,121 turned out to watch Athletic Bilbao play Atletico Madrid at San Mames stadium. 

The overall record for women's football remains the 90,185 spectators that attended the final of the 1999 World Cup at the Rose Bowl in California, when the United States beat China. 

This year's World Cup in France will begin on June 7th. Spain have qualified and will be in Group B, with Germany, China and South Africa.

READ ALSO: Barça under fire as men's team fly business class, women go economy

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