Break with the association?
Fuss about plans for the women’s Bundesliga: DFB reacts clearly
Updated on December 4, 2025 – 6:57 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
14 clubs currently play in the women’s Bundesliga. Now the clubs have gone public with a surprising plan. The DFB comments on this.
The clubs in the women’s Bundesliga apparently want to found their own league association – initially without the German Football Association (DFB). This emerges from a joint statement from several clubs on Thursday. This means there is a possible break with the umbrella organization.
“It is still unclear at the moment whether the initiated process, in which the German Football Association was recently involved, will continue together with them in the future. The association will be founded – contrary to what was originally planned and desired by the clubs – initially without the participation of the DFB,” the statement says.
The “Bild” newspaper had previously reported on it. The aim of the clubs is to organize themselves into a new league association in order to “ensure a modern, professional and sustainable development of the women’s Bundesliga and to strengthen the economic performance of professional women’s football”.
The DFB reacted to the initiative on Thursday afternoon – and was surprised. “The German Football Association noted the statements from the women’s Bundesliga with astonishment,” said a press release.
According to previously published information from “Bild”, there were supposed to be disagreements in the negotiations. Among other things, leading club representatives such as Bayern’s Jan-Christian Dreesen and Frankfurt’s Axel Hellmann are said to have felt deceived by the DFB negotiators. Accordingly, the association made “unacceptable demands” even though the contracts had already been finalized from the club’s perspective.
According to the statement, Hellmann explained: They are disappointed that agreements that have already been made “are not, in our view, reflected in the contractual materials. For this reason, the founding act is now being carried out without the involvement of the DFB.”
The association now presented the situation differently: “The DFB remains committed to the commitments and investments made in the course of the planned joint venture,” the association’s reaction now states. “We are convinced that jointly establishing an FBL GmbH is the right path for everyone involved.” And further: “There have been no contracts ready to be signed yet.”
What’s more: “The clubs’ negotiators had sent the DFB far-reaching additions and requests for changes, to which the DFB responded as usual in negotiations. We will continue discussions with the clubs in the coming weeks – constructively and objectively.”
The foundation was actually scheduled for December 10th at the DFB campus in Frankfurt. According to the current status, it is now scheduled to take place on the same day in the Frankfurt World Cup Arena – without the DFB.