New study shows German football remains male-dominated
The top leagues of German football remain a largely male environment. A new study reveals that only seven clubs have women in upper management levels.
A new study on diversity in professional German football reveals that the sport remains heavily male-dominated. Fussball kann mehr (FKM) released its third report, covering all 36 teams in the top two divisions. The results show that out of 36 clubs, 29 have all-male management teams. In the 2025-26 season, there was a slight increase in women in top management positions, with four new women appointed to top roles while previous seasons only saw one woman appointed.
RB Leipzig's Tatjana Haenni, the first female CEO in the Bundesliga, is one of them, while Nicole Kumpis of Eintracht Braunschweig remains the only female club president in the top two divisions. Kathleen Krüger's appointment at HSV after the study's cutoff further boosts the original numbers. Women only hold 9 out of the 94 highest management positions, a three increase from the previous season.
The only lower number is the international diversification on supervisory boards, with less than 3% of members not German. FKM co-chair Katja Kraus stated, "We would love to report that the spirit of renewal exuded by these top executives is permeating German professional football and that the necessary transformation is in full swing."
However, progress remains slow, with spectacular isolated cases and stagnation at the grassroots level. The Women's Bundesliga has also taken steps by moving away from the DFB and operating independently, opening up new opportunities for women in management positions. However, men still dominate women's football, with only four out of the 14 Women's Bundesliga teams coached by women.
Despite these challenges, the hope is that German clubs will prioritize diversity at both elite and grassroots levels, especially with Euro 2029 being held in Germany.
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