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 has revealed that German football remains predominantly male-dominated. The nonprofit organization Fussball kann mehr (FKM) released its third report on diversity in professional German football, examining all 36 teams in the top two divisions. The findings showed that 29 out of the 36 clubs had all-male management teams.
However, there was a positive increase in women in top management positions, with four women appointed in the 2025-26 season, compared to just one in the previous season. RB Leipzig's Tatjana Haenni became the first female CEO in the Bundesliga late in 2025, while Nicole Kumpis of Eintracht Braunschweig remains the only female president in the top two flights.
After the study's cutoff, Kathleen Krüger's appointment at HSV further increased the number of women in management roles. Despite these isolated cases of progress, women still hold only nine out of 94 positions at the highest management level, representing a three percent increase from the previous season. The survey also highlighted the situation in women's football, noting that only four of the 14 Women's Bundesliga teams were coached by women.
Co-chair of FKM's advisory board, Katja Kraus, expressed hope that the spirit of renewal seen in these top executives would permeate German professional football, but acknowledged that progress remains slow and structural barriers still exist in both men's and women's football.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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