Tag: DFB

The future structure of the Frauen-Bundesliga remains one of the most pressing questions in German women’s football. In recent months, discussions around a potential joint venture between the German FA (DFB) and the league’s 14 clubs have stalled, leaving the competition in a state of strategic uncertainty. To get insights into the status of the negotiations, The Rise of Women’s Football spoke to Manuel Hartmann, Managing Director of Match Operations at the DFB.

Women’s football is undergoing a period of rapid transformation, with rising investment, growing audiences, and increasing international competition reshaping the landscape. While Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga has long been considered one of Europe’s leading leagues, new dynamics across the continent are challenging its position at the very top.

In this exclusive interview, Manuel Hartmann, Managing Director of Match Operations at the DFB, offers an in-depth look at where the league currently stands and where it is heading.

After weeks of public confrontation over the future professional structure of women’s football, the German Football Association (DFB) and the newly founded Women’s Bundesliga league association have returned to the negotiating table. Despite the tense atmosphere following the dispute, both sides are once again exploring the creation of a joint venture.

The development of the domestic league is currently progressing too slowly for the clubs in the German Frauen-Bundesliga. For years, they have been calling for aspects such as minimum salaries for the players, an expansion of the league and, above all, a more effective marketing strategy. Now the heads of all the clubs have joined forces to take matters into their own hands with the help of an agency.