"Professional football lacks significant representation for women"
In the heart of football enthusiasts across Europe, the Women's Euros in Switzerland recently concluded, leaving a lasting impact on one spectator in particular – Katja Kraus, a former national goalkeeper and former board member of Hamburger SV. Kraus, who hails from Hamburg, has observed the potential benefits of greater diversity and is now urging Bundesliga clubs to diversify their leadership.
The call for change is not falling on deaf ears. The AllBright Foundation, a specialist in diversity, conducted a survey on the compositions of top management, supervisory boards, advisory boards, and the second level of leadership in German professional football. The findings revealed a stark reality – out of 36 clubs from the 1. and 2. Bundesliga, only six percent of top management positions are held by women.
This lack of representation is evident in the top-level positions, with only one woman, Lawyer Luise Gottberg at FC St. Pauli, filling a position out of 19. Three clubs – Werder Bremen, St. Pauli, and Hamburger SV – are the exceptions, having diversity targets anchored in their statutes.
The initiative "Football Can Do More" (FKM) has criticized German professional football in their second annual report "State of the League". Kraus echoes FKM's sentiments, pointing out that despite many positive discussions and efforts for change by decision-makers, the numbers have not improved.
However, there are initiatives aiming to address this issue. These include increasing the visibility and marketing of women's football, encouraging activism and stronger voices from female athletes and leaders, and attempting to place more women in coaching and leadership roles. The improving yet still minority presence of female head coaches at major tournaments like Euro 2025 is a testament to these efforts.
Broader cultural shifts, influenced by former players and industry experts advocating for confident female leadership and systemic change within football organizations, are also contributing to the movement. The commercial potential of women's football is increasingly recognized, with UEFA forecasting that the sport’s market value will increase sixfold by 2033. This inspires clubs and organizations to invest more in women’s sport as a growth market rather than only a social good.
Despite these efforts, significant progress remains needed, as women remain vastly underrepresented in top football management in Germany. Continued support for women’s sports as a commercial growth sector, coupled with stronger activism and quota discussions, forms the current landscape of initiatives aimed at improving female top management representation in German football.
As of the 2024/25 season, only Schalke 04, St. Pauli, 1. FC Heidenheim, and Werder Bremen have a woman in top management. The future of German football's leadership diversity depends on the collective efforts of clubs, fans, and industry leaders to embrace change and foster a more inclusive environment.
- In alignment with the Football Can Do More (FKM) initiative's criticisms, Katja Kraus emphasizes the necessity for German football clubs to increase female representation beyond discussions, given the disproportionate 6% of top management positions held by women in Bundesliga clubs, as revealed by the AllBright Foundation's survey.
- Acknowledging the efforts made towards women's football visibility and marketing, Katja Kraus urges clubs to escalate these initiatives by promoting activism, stronger voices from female athletes and leaders, and increasing women's representation in coaching and leadership roles, mirroring the improving presence of female head coaches in major tournaments like Euro 2025.
- As a response to the commercial potential of women's football, anticipated to grow sixfold by 2033, Katja Kraus encourages clubs and organizations to treat women's sport as a valuable commercial growth sector, fostering a more inclusive environment for ambitious female leaders to thrive in German football's top management.
