Clubs from the Frauen-Bundesliga, Germany’s top-tier women’s soccer league, have announced their decision to split from the German Football Federation (DFB) and form a joint organization.
The 14 clubs previously agreed with the DFB to form a new association but announced last night that they will go solo in establishing a league association like the DFL, which operates the country’s top two divisions of men’s club soccer.
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The announcement came a day after it was announced that Germany had won hosting rights to the flagship UEFA Women's Euros in 2029.
In a statement, the 14 clubs have said the formation of the Women’s Bundesliga FBL e.V next week (December 10) would herald a “new chapter in the history of women’s football in Germany” that would ensure “the modern, professional, and sustainable development of the Women’s Bundesliga and strengthening the commercial potential of professional women’s football.”
Bayern Munich chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen commented: “In the discussions with the DFB, the key points for the establishment of a joint FBL GmbH had already been agreed upon, which made the questioning of the negotiated cornerstones at this point all the more surprising for us clubs – especially since the clubs will be investing many times more in the Women’s Bundesliga.
“In order not to lose any more time, we have therefore unanimously decided to finalize the founding of the FBL e.V. as the association of Bundesliga clubs in December – without the DFB.”
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By GlobalDataThe club’s original agreement with DFB would have seen the league association and the DFB each hold a 50% share in the "Frauen-Bundesliga Gesellschaft" (Women's Bundesliga Company), with the DFB pledging to invest €100 million towards the professionalization of the league over eight years.
While neither party has provided details of the rift, German newspaper Bild said the DFB had made “unacceptable demands” after the contracts had already been finalized.
In another statement, Axel Hellmann, spokesman for Eintracht Frankfurt's board, said: “We are disappointed that agreements already made with the DFB are not reflected in the contract materials from our point of view.
“For this reason, the founding act will now take place without the involvement of the DFB.
"How the process will unfold and whether it will result in a joint venture with the DFB or whether the clubs will go their own way is completely open at this point in time."
Responding to the decision, the DFB said it would continue talks with the clubs to find a resolution.
DFB general secretary Holger Blask said: “The founding of the league association by the 14 clubs is a prerequisite for the planned joint venture. Participation by the DFB in the league association was never planned.
“Contracts ready for signature have not yet been presented. The clubs' negotiators had sent the DFB extensive additions and requests for changes, to which the DFB responded in the usual manner.
“The DFB remains committed to the agreements made and investments made in the course of the planned joint venture. We are convinced that the joint establishment of FBL GmbH is the right way forward for all parties involved.”
The German national team has for a lengthy period been one of the powerhouses of women's soccer.
