Hurem: I used to cut my hair like a boy in '87, and now even models play football

The coach of the BiH women's national football team, Samira Hurem, tells the BiH news agency Patria (NAP) that women's football is also becoming a business worldwide. Matches of the 2011 World Cup in Frankfurt were watched by between 50,000 and 70,000 spectators.

- That is something beautiful - says Samira.

Women's football is also becoming increasingly popular in BiH. Last year, the country got a Women's Premier League which includes eight clubs from all over BiH, and the entity league, which gathers ten clubs in the Federation and RS, is also developing.

- Many things have changed. Women's football is now in a much better position than before. Just a few years ago, we had a problem with assembling a squad. And now we have reached a position where we can choose only the best players. That is very encouraging - says Samira. She explains that the men's national football team helps them a lot in this, and that the development of men's football in BiH directly reflects on them.

The view of women's football, says Samira, has fundamentally changed worldwide. But not only among the audience, but also among the players.

- When I started playing football in '87 at Željezničar, it was a completely different time. We played with boys. And we identified with them. I, for example, cut my hair like a boy, because I wanted to look like them as much as possible. It's not like that anymore. The girls who play football are beautiful and feminine. There are even models among them - says Samira.

- But, playing with boys is not so bad. A woman becomes stronger - she explains with a laugh.

She reveals that, as much as women's football is one world, it still relies mostly on its male counterparts.

- Our players follow their male role models. That bothers me sometimes. Because they try to copy their idols, they try to adopt some of their moves. But, due to the nature of their bodies, it is clear that they are not capable of doing so, so in the end it looks quite funny - says Samira for NAP.

The BiH women's national football team will play a match on April 5th, as part of the qualifiers for the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, on the Faroe Islands, and five days later they have a match against Scotland in Zenica.

- We hope for the best results - says Samira.