Bold, Ambitious, Revolutionary: London City Lionesses Betting on the Future of Women's Football
Written by Yunus Samer, BA Politics and International Relations.
For decades, women's football has been overlooked, but this is about to change. The London City Lionesses are the first fully independent women's football club and are currently stealing the spotlight through record signings, breathtaking performances, and huge investment.
Currently, most women's teams are subsidiaries of men's, giving them access to the existing brand, training facilities, and fans of the club. While this set-up provides infrastructure, the resources they receive are often second-class.
"By refusing to play second fiddle to a men's squad, Kang’s project redefines what equal infrastructure and ambition ought to look like."
A 2021 FA investigation into Birmingham City Women highlighted severe inequalities compared with the men's team, including inadequate changing rooms, poorer training pitches, and stark differences in travel arrangements. Despite ongoing amendments to football governance, many women's teams remain subordinate to the men's side.
The historical prioritisation of men's football, evolving around the outdated stigma of football being purely a men's sport, has significantly stunted the popularity of the women's game. The Women's Sport Trust evaluated that in 2025 women's sport made up only 9% of all sporting coverage. This disparity persists economically, making men's football an economic haven for investors: according to Deloitte, Premier League clubs generated £6.8 billion in revenue in 2024/25, compared with just £90 million for Women's Super League (WSL) clubs.
Acquired by Michele Kang in 2019, the Lionesses are part of Kynisca, the world’s first global multi-club organisation dedicated exclusively to women’s football, alongside Washington Spirit and OL Lyonnes. The model rejects women's football being an afterthought dependent on the legacy of men. In an interview, Kang told the BBC, ‘How could you accept your daughters being treated as second-class citizens in a sport where boys play as if it's their birthright?’
This independence is already paying off as last season. The Lionesses were promoted to the WSL and are on a clear trajectory to play in Europe next season. Additionally, after 14 years at Barcelona, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas has joined The Lionesses. As she is widely regarded as the greatest player of her generation, this displays the club’s ability to attract high-value players.
Currently, according to The Standard, Kynisca is investing £27 million in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built women's training centre for the Lionesses with facilities set to rival Premier League men's clubs, giving women’s football the investment it has long been denied.
In contrast, the signing of prolific winger Kadidiatou Diani from Lyon to London City, both clubs owned by Kang, highlights how multi-club ownership creates transfer domination over traditional clubs.
London City Lionesses represent a historic crossroad for the women's game. By refusing to play second fiddle to a men's squad, Kang’s project redefines what equal infrastructure and ambition ought to look like. The intrusion of mega-investors will inevitably disrupt the WSL's traditional competitive balance, but it delivers an unmistakable message: the era of treating women's football as merely a subsidiary is over.
