Building an international brand requires synergy between clubs and the broader sporting ecosystem, creating connections that bring new audiences and stakeholders into women’s football. For Serie A Women’s clubs – and for the league itself – this has become increasingly urgent, as the landscape has stagnated since the 2022-23 season.
As investment in women’s football accelerates worldwide, the Frauen-Bundesliga faces a fundamental challenge: how to remain competitive without abandoning its economic principles. For Manuel Hartmann, Managing Director of Match Operations at the DFB, this challenge can be mounted, but clubs need to be strategic.
Stars and talents alike flocked to the league, and Wolfsburg dominated the Champions League, alongside Lyon, in the early 2000s. Now, this situation has changed. As Manuel Hartmann, Managing Director of Match Operations at the German federation DFB, openly acknowledges, Germany now finds itself “among the leading leagues in Europe, but not at the absolute summit.” What is the federation’s diagnosis for this development – and what are the plans to reverse the trend?
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.