Phil Neville wants clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to “throw open” their stadiums for women’s matches. The England Women manager feels that, with free tickets for such games, huge crowds could attend and said: “Let’s blow away the rest of Europe.”

On 17 March there was a crowd of 60,739 at the Wanda Metropolitano for Atlético Madrid against Barcelona, an attendance said to have set a world record for a women’s club match.

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Atlético’s game in January against Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés had 48,121, and on 24 March there were 39,000 at the Allianz Stadium as Juventus Women played Fiorentina.

Neville, whose side face Canada at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium on Friday in the first of four home Road to France Series matches before the World Cup, was asked how far away the English women’s game was from something like that.

“Looking at the attendances in our league on Sunday, I actually think that’s better than the one-off games in Spain or Italy. There was 2,800 at Kingsmeadow [where Chelsea beat West Ham in the Women’s Super League], 1,500 at Solihull [where Birmingham lost to Arsenal]. I think we’ve got a good foundation.

“I see games in Spain where there’s probably only 100 to 150 people watching. So I think as a base line, we’ve got probably a little bit more sustainability. What I would say is that some of the big teams in England have got to open their big stadiums and let’s say ‘let’s blow the rest of Europe away’ because I think our game in this country is at a far better place than what it is in Spain and Italy.

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“I think now, if [second-tier leaders] Man United win the league, or [top-flight leaders] Arsenal – throw open your stadium, open it up. Champions League game for Chelsea [they face Lyon in the semi-finals] – why not play it at Stamford Bridge? Get 30 or 40,000.

“I think my players are at the level where our big clubs have got to open their stadiums. That’s my feeling having watched Bilbao, Juventus. They’ve done it but let’s see us do it maybe two or three times from now to the end of the season.”

Neville was asked if he would advocate following those overseas games by having free tickets. “Why not?” he said. “Man United Women let people in for free when they play at Leigh, so why can’t you at Old Trafford? Why can’t we fill Stamford Bridge for a Champions League semi-final against Lyon? It would be incredible.”