Michele Kang, the owner of Women's Super League club London City Lionesses, has declared that the club's forthcoming training facility will rival, and even exceed, those used by most Premier League men's clubs.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Kang said the purpose-built centre is expected to open within the next year and represents a deliberate step toward closing the gap between resources afforded to male and female athletes. "We're building a state-of-the-art training centre for our female athletes dedicated to them, built and designed for them, which will open in less than a year," she said. Kang added that the project's architect, who has previously designed training grounds for Premier League clubs, told her the new facility would surpass what most men's top-flight sides currently have.
The investment comes after a summer of major spending at London City, which included the high-profile signing of two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, signalling the club's ambition to compete at the top of the women's game both on and off the pitch.
For Kang, the training centre is part of a broader mission to challenge the unequal treatment of female athletes. She questioned why girls and women in sport are often made to accept inferior conditions compared to their male counterparts. "How could you possibly accept the notion that your girls, your daughters, granddaughters, sisters are treated as second-class citizens where in the same sport the boys go to play as if it's their birthright?" she said. She argued that female players have historically been treated as "small men" rather than athletes with distinct physical needs, stressing the importance of tailored training and performance support.
Kang, whose ownership portfolio spans clubs in England, France and the United States, explained that her belief in standalone women's clubs stems from her early experiences in American soccer with Washington Spirit, where independent women's teams are more common. She said she was drawn to London City specifically because it operates without ties to a men's club, an approach she wants to prove can be highly successful. "I wanted to build a women-only team to show when you really devote all your attention and resources and energy into women's only team, what's possible," she said.
The London City owner also traced her passion for advancing women's sport back to her childhood in South Korea, where she grew up as one of three daughters in a traditional household. She credited her father with instilling in her the belief that gender should not limit ambition. Kang said those values now inform her approach to ownership, as she seeks to spare young girls the struggles she once faced, including inadequate facilities and equipment.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the new centre is intended to support research into female athlete health, an area Kang believes remains significantly under-resourced. She cited the disproportionate rate of ACL injuries among women, noting that female players are two to three times more likely to suffer such injuries than men, while only a small fraction of global medical research funding is directed toward understanding the female body.
Kang's long-term vision extends well beyond London. Through her multi-club ownership model, she hopes to expand elite standards to women's football in Asia, Africa and South America, ensuring young players worldwide can access world-class facilities close to home rather than only seeing them on television.
Asked what advice she would offer other clubs in the Women's Super League, Kang's response was succinct: "Invest."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.