'Astonishing': Women's football team sell raffle tickets as men enjoy three-course meal

The FC Basel women's side was not invited to the club's 125th-anniversary gala.

FC Basel players during a UEFA Europa League match.

FC Basel players during a UEFA Europa League match. Source: Getty

A top European football club is under fire for celebrating their men's side while putting their women's side to work.

Twenty-time Swiss champion FC Basel held a gala celebration to mark its 125th-anniversary last week, where current and former male players wined and dined.

Meanwhile, the women's side was left to "sell raffle tickets to over a thousand guests", according to reports.

Swiss outlet Prime News said after the women were finished selling the raffle tickets, they were only given sandwiches to eat in an adjoining room.
A photo of the gala.
A photo of the gala. Source: Christian Keller, Prime News
In a statement to CNN Sport, FC Basel said the women's side had been contacted in advance and they "happily agreed to help", with the proceeds from the raffle going towards youth and women's team development.

"At our anniversary party many of our employees were helping in different ways ...This included our women's team."
The stadium of FC Basel.
The stadium of FC Basel. Source: Getty
None of the women have spoken publicly since the gala, but the event has caused outrage in Switzerland.

Swiss politician Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter told CNN Sport "it's really astonishing".

"I'm also astonished about the reaction of the young women that they didn't say anything about that," she said.

"I would say they [FC Basel] are a very, very bad example for society because we have an article in our constitution which states equality between men and women.

"When a team does things like this that's against our constitution, I would say as a politician. I'm really confused about that."

While many on social media say the case highlights football's wide gender gap.

"Equality just seems to be a problem in football now and then," one user wrote on Twitter.
Another user suggested holding an additional gala where the women dine and the men sell raffle tickets.

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'Astonishing': Women's football team sell raffle tickets as men enjoy three-course meal | SBS News