Structural change in women’s football: Facelifting in the 2nd women’s Bundesliga

The 2nd women’s Bundesliga massively changes their face with six new teams: the promoted FSV Mainz 05, VfB Stuttgart and Viktoria Berlin stand for new approaches – and higher ambitions.

The third May weekend in 2025 will receive its permanent place in the club chronicle of FSV Mainz 05. First the men moved back into the European Cup with a rushing break for the first time in nine years, then the women made the greatest success in the club’s great in a smaller scale.

“Southwest German champion, Mainz 05, that’s his name”it sounded from the main grandstand in the stadium on Bruchweg. 1350 spectators celebrated the goalless draw against the former fear opponent and permanent rival 1. FC Saarbrücken. Because the championship in the Regionalliga Südwest was perfect – and thus the promotion to the 2nd women’s Bundesliga.

TSV Schott Mainz helped

It was not until April 2022 that TSV Schott Mainz and FSV Mainz 05 announced a cooperation to professionalize women’s and girls’ football at all levels. The championship jumped out in 2024, but the Mainz failed at VfL Bochum, where the former international Annike Krahn is in charge.

To have made the climb in the second attempt, be “Something big for the club”says the sporting director Nadine Kreß. Imposing, especially the goal difference of 105: 4 nobody from the first three men’s profile and the four highest women’s relays can show such a balance.

Heiko Gerber works as a trainer at VfB Stuttgart

The women of VfB Stuttgart were similarly dominant in the south season, who celebrated their 20th victory in the 22nd game with a win against TSV Schwaben Augsburg (12: 0). “The girls always gave full throttle”VfB coach Heiko Gerber was pleased. The ex-professional believes: “Now we are prepared for the second division. We also want to play up there.”

The former international Leonie Maier was part of the promotion team. “I couldn’t have imagined saying goodbye to active football “said the stirred Olympic champion. With Sascha Glass (formerly coach at the 1st FFC Frankfurt and 1. FC Köln), Stuttgart has installed a general manager who takes care of the women’s department. Two ascents should not yet be the end of the flagpole within a very short time: the traditional Swabian association wants to go to the women’s Bundesliga in the medium term.

There is no more space for Weinberg or Gütersloh

In the long term, Mainz also pursues this orientation for a license association that wants to stand for diversity out of conviction, but does not strive for women at all costs. “We want to grow healthy: do not take three or four stages at once, but one step after the other”says sporting director Nadine Kreß.

Mainz and Stuttgart as license clubs help to change the face of the Bundesliga substructure significantly. The relegated team are called SV Weinberg, SC Freiburg II and FSV Gütersloh 2009. With Union Berlin, 1. FC Nürnberg and Hamburger SV, three teams rose to 14 teams on 14 teams.

Union in particular set new standards of the climbers. The Köpenickers play in the stadium on the old forestry and attracted an average of 7190 fans. All in Europe, only Arsenal, the Chelsea and Manchester United FC, had more spectators.

Viktoria Berlin wants to stand for a cultural change

So far, the league was very heterogeneous. Sometimes still amateurically structured clubs from the province met ambitious license clubs. The second representatives of Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich have important functions, which help the U23 to play their talents to play practice at the second division level.

The facelift is shaped by the five climbers. Viktoria Berlin as a master of the Regionalliga Nordost stands for one of the most exciting projects in German women’s sports. In 2022, six founders took over the outsourced team of women. “We have the ambitious goal of playing in the Bundesliga in five years“, said Felicia Mutterer as one of the founders at a talk at the sports information service in Cologne.

Hard for Turbine Potsdam

With the help of prominent supporters such as Franziska van Almsick, Caroline Kebekus or Ulrike Folkerts, a million sum came together. Much of the funds flow into the sporting area. “We want a cultural change,” says Motherner. “No other sport in Germany can be illustrated as much as the conditions between men and women are unequal.” Viktoria Berlin wants to develop its own identity.

Turbine Potsdam, who descended from the Bundesliga without a sound, has no longer managed – and it will continue to be difficult in the future, where the “Iron Ladies” from Union Berlin swing in the first address of the capital.

Borussia Dortmund could knock on the door to the second division as early as 2026: BVB will play in the Regionalliga West next season with the championship in the Westphalia League – and has committed one of the best trainers as head coach with Markus Högner from SGS Essen.

Criticism of the amateurous structures

VfL Wolfsburg II made it from the north. The “young wolves” cheered because the HSV II did without. VfR Wabeyen made the jump from the west. The 2nd Bundesliga becomes more colorful, more ambitious – and possibly also more professional.

The player advisor Jörg Nebung had repeatedly criticized the staggering development under the roof of the German Football Association (DFB): “The association understood it very late what potential women are in women’s football. It cannot be that we still don’t have a professional league with minimum standards.”

The 2nd Women’s Bundesliga would lag after the demands: “With Gütersloh, Andernach, Weinberg or Ingolstadt, we have some locations that do not meet the requirements for reasonably professional conditions.”

Footballers are now recognized at the carnival

Most of the license clubs in this division also do not rely on professionals. “We train every day and do a lot of effort, but every player still has her job or studies”says the Mainz service provider Chiara Bouziane.

However, after the cup game against VfL Wolfsburg (1: 4) from autumn last year, she noticed how the perception changed: “This year I was even recognized at the carnival a few times.” Despite disguise, she would have asked people: “Are you not the footballer of Mainz 05?”