It can now be heard everywhere: The hype about women’s football triggered by the great EM should and must be used. The enthusiasm is great so soon after the success of the national team around coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. But some new fans, some new interested people will ask themselves: Where can I follow women’s football outside of the big tournaments? Is there a league? In which clubs are the national players active? Can you watch the games on TV? A few answers for anyone who wants to experience more women’s football in the future.
Yes, the women’s Bundesliga has existed since 1990. Initially on two tracks, since 1997 it has been a single-track, nationwide match operation. Twelve clubs are currently in the top German division, two clubs are relegated at the end of the season. The dominant team is currently VfL Wolfsburg. The Wolves are reigning champions and cup winners. Biggest competitors are the women of FC Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt (formerly 1.FFC Frankfurt) and Turbine Potsdam.
With the trend towards greater professionalism, more and more well-known names from the men’s Bundesliga can also be found in the first women’s league: currently 1.FC Köln, TSG Hoffenheim, SC Freiburg, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen. 1.FFC Frankfurt, permanent champions from the early 2000s, has been the women’s section of Frankfurt Eintracht since July 1, 2020 – and thus benefits from the professional environment of the Europa League winner for men. With Turbine Potsdam there is only one pure women’s football club in the upper house. However, there are still differences in the club structure: SGS Essen and newcomer SV Meppen are among the first division clubs. SC Sand from Baden-Württemberg, long an institution in women’s football, has only just been relegated from the Bundesliga.
All Bundesliga games can be seen live on pay TV – exclusively on Telekom’s MagentaTV, as part of the MagentaSport offer. There you can also see the highlights of the games. You don’t have to be a Telekom customer to book MagentaSport. For 9.95 euros per month in an annual subscription or for 16.95 euros per month you can book the sports package, which includes not only the women’s national league sponsored by the company Flyeralarm, but also all games in the 3rd men’s league, the ice hockey and basketball Bundesliga belong. With one access you can view the offer on all end devices.
But there are also broadcasts on the ARD regional channels, compilations on the ARD sports show or the ZDF sports studio and live games such as TSG 1899 Hoffenheim against VfL Wolfsburg on the second day of the game (September 24/5:55 p.m.) on ARD. The pay TV broadcaster Sky has also shown interest in the women’s Bundesliga. But there is nothing concrete here yet.
Viewer numbers are still extremely meager; the Bundesliga clubs urgently need a live audience. Eintracht Frankfurt had the highest average attendance last season with a meager 1580. Even FC Bayern only managed an average of 827 spectators. Carl-Zeiss Jena played in front of an average of 274 people. There is also a lot for the DFB to do here. Thanks to massive funding, the British league is now played in front of an average of 6000 people. Admission to Bundesliga games does not cost a fortune. Some teams have not yet announced ticket prices for the new season. The SGS Essen and Turbine Potsdam charge ten euros for a seat for full-paying adults.
Yes, most of the European Championship heroines are currently playing in the top German league – in the three top clubs VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt. Midfield ace Sara Däbritz last ran for Paris-St. Germain and will play for Champions League winners Olympique Lyon in the future. Dzsenifer Maroszan, who missed the European Championship due to a cruciate ligament rupture, is also under contract in Lyon. Ann-Kathrin Berger guards the goal of Chelsea FC.
The new season starts on September 16th, a Friday. Then, from 7:15 p.m., Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern will play the opening game. As a rule, there is one Friday evening game per game day; most other encounters are on Saturdays at 1pm or Sundays at 4pm. There will also be a toast on Saturday at 6 p.m.
There has been a Women’s Champions League since 2001, which has been called that since the 2009/2010 season. German clubs have won the title nine times – most recently VfL Wolfsburg in 2013 and 2014. All league games can be seen live on the sports platform DAZN and on the DAZN YouTube channel – until 2025. The Bundesliga qualifies Masters Club for Queens Class, runners-up must go through qualifiers.
The international matches of the DFB women usually run on free TV on ARD and ZDF. The next two matches are the remaining qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup against Turkey (September 3) and Bulgaria (September 6). This is followed by an international trip to the USA (November 7th to 16th) and several preparatory games. The next big tournament, the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, will take place next summer, from July 10th to August 20th, in which the German team would take part if they won the two remaining qualifying games.
With material from DPA
