Introduction to the Frauen-Bundesliga FBL eV
It was announced last Friday that the 14 clubs in the Women’s Bundesliga officially formed their own league organization at a meeting in the German city of Frankfurt. Katharina Kiel from Eintracht Frankfurt was elected as the first president of the Frauen-Bundesliga FBL eV. Veronica Sass from FC Bayern Munich and Florian Zeutschler will serve as vice presidents. The FBL’s stated goal is to take the marketing and professionalization of the league to new levels, and the launch is reportedly expected to take place in 18 months.
A Historic Moment for German Women’s Football
"Today is a historic moment for German women’s football. For the first time, all first division clubs are joining forces and pooling their interests in one league association," Kiel said in a statement. “For us, this represents a preliminary high point in a process that we as clubs began together around 18 months ago.”
Going it Alone – Without the DFB
The founding meeting took place in a hospitality suite at Eintracht Frankfurt’s home stadium after it was relocated from its original location, the nearby headquarters of the German Football Association (DFB). The decision to postpone the meeting came last week after the 14 clubs announced they would go it alone in their plan to create the FBL, which would be similar to the DFL (German Football League), which markets the men’s Bundesliga. This was the result of a heated dispute between the clubs and the DFB, in which the clubs accused the football association of making "unacceptable demands" on a deal that would have resulted in the two setting up the league association as a joint venture.
The Dispute Between the Clubs and the DFB
The core of the dispute appears to be a disagreement over which team should have the most say in the FBL. The clubs argue they should have the final say as they are estimated to invest between €300m and €900m to take the Bundesliga forward. It is unclear what significance the founding of this club will have for the DFB’s commitment to invest 100 million euros in women’s football over the next eight years. However, both sides agree that urgent investment is needed in women’s football in Germany in order to maintain the competitiveness of the league and the national team compared to other top football nations such as England and the USA.
Future Plans and Proposals
Specific proposals under discussion include a minimum base salary for players as well as minimum staff and infrastructure requirements. The DFB also hopes to use the 2029 European Championship, which Germany secured as host last week, to give new impetus to women’s football in the country. “At this point in time we cannot enter into the partnership because there are still open questions between us and the DFB,” said Kiel. "Every path has its advantages and disadvantages. The DFL also started alone. The project with the DFB did not fail. We will examine it impartially."
