The recent Women’s European Championship had millions of Germans and many millions more across Europe glued to their television screens. In Britain, the final between England and Germany, which was played in front of a record crowd of 87,192 inside Wembley Stadium, drew an average of 11 million television viewers and a 66% audience share. The tournament felt like a breakthrough moment for women’s football in Europe, but will it lead to sustainable change and possibly true equality in football?
Germany already experienced a wave of excitement in 2011 when the country hosted the Women’s World Cup, but the excitement died down as soon as the final whistle was blown. Attendance in Germany’s first division typically remained in the three digits, with an average of 700 attending games before the pandemic. Even successful women’s teams such as VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich, who have done well in international competitions, continued to play in front of empty seats.
Simply put, after the home World Cup, men took over again and women continued to play second fiddle — until now. German football is setting the standard among top European leagues as a home for progress. The Bundesliga, as opposed to other big leagues in Europe, has a “50+1” ownership rule that protects the clubs from volatility because takeovers by private investors are prohibited. The club and their members own the majority of the team, according to the rule, which is meant to prevent not only economic recklessness but also preserve fan culture — the crown jewel for the Bundesliga.
Members have a say in setting ticket prices and membership fees and can, if needed, force club executives to limit any kind of business expansion plans. Comparatively low ticket prices, combined with a largely friendly atmosphere inside the stadiums, make the Bundesliga, one of the major leagues in Europe, accessible to many.
While these aspects are worthy of praise, German football is far from perfect. Although progress has been made in the past decade, the dominance of men within the sport’s institutions — sporting directors, heads of scouting, coaching roles and soccer’s executive branch — remains a notable barrier.
“You have to know that once you get into this business, your gender will play a role and you will be partly judged based on your gender,” Katharina Kiel said. The 30-year-old former midfielder for Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim recently made headlines when she announced that she wants to be the first female sporting director in German professional football.
