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FOR DIFFERENT CLUBS, THROUGH COMMON GOAL, YOU WILL ACTUAL- LY BE ON THE SAME TEAM, PLAYING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? PERNILLE: It’s really nice to do some- thing together, and also do something that really matters. I feel like it’s a really good time for us to delve more into this topic, so I really feel good about it. MAGDA: It’s just nice to see it that way, that every player in Common Goal is actually part of a team. It just makes me feel like Common Goal is even more of a perfect fit, because that’s what we’re all about: collective- ness, helping each other out and also being aware of how privileged you are, and giving back because of that. THE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY, PAR- TICULARLY IN THE MEN’S GAME, BUT ALSO INCREASINGLY IN THE WOMEN’S GAME, HAS A GREAT ECO- NOMIC POTENTIAL THAT COULD BE UNLOCKED FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL, AND WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO DECISION-MAKERS IN FOOTBALL, OR YOUR PEERS, WHO MIGHT BE CONSIDERING SOME- THING LIKE THIS? PERNILLE: I mean, like you said, there’s a big potential of money to give back to good causes in the world, and it would be great for football as a sport to give back to society in a number of respects. I feel like I’m really happy to be a part of it now. Like Magda said, 1% of your salary is not that much. And for me it would be totally normal if everyone did it. Especially on the men’s side, where there is a lot of potential money. MAGDA: Like you said, if we can reach the decision-makers in the clubs, it would be even better. As in- dividuals we can only go so far, but if we can do it together and collectively, it could become a massive way of giv- ing back. Hopefully this will become the norm and more people will get inspired from seeing that. The more, the merrier. YOU CHOSE TO SUPPORT PLAY PROUD, A CAUSE PARTICULARLY CLOSE TO YOUR HEARTS. IT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WE ARE LOOK- ING TO EXPAND GLOBALLY IN ORDER TO PROMOTE INCLUSION AMONGST AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND GIVE LGBT+ YOUTH SAFE SPACES WITHIN SPORT. COULD THIS BE THE WAY OF SHIFT- ING THE COLLECTIVE MINDSET? MAGDA: Play Proud is such a good initiative because they aim to educate the coaches and the environment in the team to be more accepting and to talk more about it. And I think that’s where you have to break the norm and to just talk more about diversity and about how people can be different with gender, with their backgrounds and the sexuality, of course. PERNILLE: And also the fact that they educate the kids. It’s much more dif- ficult to change one’s mindset about homosexuality when they’re in their 20s, rather than when they’re only children and can understand that it’s just normal. WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR VISITS TO SEE FOOTBALL FOR GOOD IN ACTION. HOW INVOLVED DO YOU WANT TO BE IN YOUR POSITION AS COMMON GOAL MEMBERS? PERNILLE: Of course we want to be 100% focused on our football, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be involved in the project. I think that for me it’s a great project, and I really feel like I want to be involved a lot. I’m sure you (Magda) feel the same, because I think it’s such an important topic to talk about. MAGDA: Definitely, for us it’s a matter of time and availability, but I agree that we also would like to go and see eye to eye what Play Proud actually does and what the money goes to. It would be very inspiring for us as well to see and to meet the young people that are benefiting from the initiative. ALTHOUGH YOU’RE BOTH VERY YOUNG, IN YOUR CAREER YOU HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED A LOT. IF YOU PROJECT A LITTLE BIT INTO THE FUTURE, MAYBE 10 YEARS AHEAD, WHAT IS YOUR WISH FOR FOOTBALL, AND IN PARTICULAR FOR WOMEN’S FOOTBALL? ALSO, WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE WHEN, IN 10-15 YEARS, YOU LEAVE THE FOOTBALLING STAGE? PERNILLE: For women’s football, the aim is always to become equal to the men’s. We know that is a big step, there’s a big difference between men’s and women’s football, but the aim will always be that it should be equal. And that’s what we want to fight for until we stop playing, and maybe also after. And talking about Play Proud, we also want football to be an open environ- ment, not only for one’s sexuality, but also for one’s background. It’s impor- tant to be able to feel that you can be yourself. I think that, in that regard, in women’s football we are much further than in men’s football, but I would love to see it happen in men’s football, because I really think that it’s sad that it’s not like this yet on their side. MAGDA: Yeah, definitely. I agree. The ambition is, 10 years from now, for girls around the world to have the opportunity to become the best footballers they want to be. I think that’s a realistic aim. Regarding the pay gap, I think that will take a long time before it’s equal. But I hope to see equality opportunity to allow girls to become the best football player they can and want to become. And that all starts at the grassroots, in youth football. Also, the diversity part of it: that everyone feels like they can be themselves on the football pitch, and for people to not stop playing just because of their sexuality or their background. For football to become an open environment for everyone. That would be a goal and that’s what we want to encourage for the rest of our career and the rest of our lives, as role models. The conversation with Pernille Harder and Magda Eriksson took place within the context of an interview with The Guardian newspaper. 12 FOOTBALL FORGOODMAGAZINE | AUGUST 2019