“Pressure certificate of poverty”
Union President attacks the Bundesliga competition
May 26, 2025 – 4:08 p.m.Reading time: 1 min.
The appropriate payment of the players has long been a big topic in women’s football. Dirk Zingler now finds drastic words.
Clear words from the President of the 1st FC Union Berlin: Dirk Zingler sharply criticized the other clubs of the women’s Bundesliga when it comes to paying-and demanded a rethink.
According to Zingler, each club with a professional men’s team can also appropriately reward their women’s department. “When I see and hear that there are only four or five of the twelve teams in the Bundesliga who pay the women professionally, this is a miserable certificate of poverty,” said the 60-year-old on Monday.
Zingler complained that in many cases only “slogans without actual action” can be heard. He wanted to “make attractive” the job description of the footballer. It is also “just right not to treat women’s football as a disability sport and to say that we have to drive extra programs and play highlight games.”
The market ultimately decides what makes an appropriate payment, says Zingler. And further: “If we get a top player for 5,000 euros, we pay 5,000. If we only get them for 30,000 euros, we pay 30,000.”
The footballers of Union Berlin had made the direct promotion to the Bundesliga last season as champions of the 2nd league.