The trophy, as they say in football, has its own laws. And not just in sport, but also in general. Because if Turbine Potsdam qualify for the cup final by beating Bayer Leverkusen (April 18, 6:30 p.m.), the reward for taking part in the final is “not even ten percent of what is paid out for men,” says Rolf Kutzmutz , President of Turbine since 2015, in an interview with rbb|24 says.
Now these 30 to 40 thousand euros are quite considerable in view of the sums that are being handled at Turbine. And yet, above all, they also point to fundamental problems. The fact that women’s football has a different status in other countries and thus better financial opportunities at the same time is primarily due to the associations, not the clubs, said Kutzmutz. Above all, the English league benefits from well-negotiated TV contracts, of around 18 million per year.
The desire for reserves
In Germany things are different. The entire Bundesliga receives around one million euros per season. The men’s third division club from Wehen Wiesbaden, on the other hand, is allowed to handle 7.4 million euros this season, according to Kutzmutz, who only chooses the example because Wiesbaden is at least alphabetically sorted at the bottom of the 36 professional clubs in Germany.
The selection of this example alone shows that Kutzmutz is not bitter about the circumstances. He just names them. Also to convey the conditions under which outstanding work is still being done in Potsdam. The club may be a long way from previous successes, series championships and the Champions League triumph, but they are still doing well. Especially this season, as the cup final beckons and in the league with the current third place the opportunity to Qualification for the Champions League.
The offspring as a bargaining chip
This is not only the highest sporting level for women, but also the most lucrative. While the qualifying tournament held in group form would only promote the image, participation in the group phase of the upcoming Champions League season would mean a real rain of money. From a women’s football point of view. Uefa speaks of a guarantee sum of 400 thousand euros. Given Turbine Potsdam’s annual budget of 1.6 to 1.7 million euros, that’s like winning the lottery. Even if there is a bonus of 2.7 million euros for every single victory of a team in the group phase.
For Turbine Potsdam, however, the 400,000 euros would also be a blessing, which would be helpful on several levels. Rolf Kutzmutz says: “We live on the money we have for exactly one season and have no reserves.” With the guaranteed sum from the Champions League, on the other hand, one is able to build up reserves. Possible investments in the club’s infrastructure are at least as important. A new turf on the training ground, new practice equipment – in short, everything that is especially good for the youngsters, or as Kutzmutz puts it, “our bargaining chip with which we can assert ourselves at the top of the league”.
The dream of the Olympic Stadium
A simple look at the table reveals the exceptional role played by Turbine in the Bundesliga. Among the first nine clubs there is only one that is not affiliated with a large men’s club – Turbine Potsdam. And this despite the fact that the budget is only in the lower midfield of the league. After all, Coach Sofian Chahed is the first full-time coach in Turbine history. However, if you look at the national competition, such as Wolfsburg, you have long since discovered posts such as that of a sporting director. Other clubs are simply further ahead, says Kutzmutz, who dreams of similar solutions in the long term: “One or the other would be better solved if you had someone who could work around the clock for it.”
With the cooperation between Turbine Potsdam and men’s Bundesliga club Hertha BSC, in addition to financial support (Kutzmutz: “It joins the ranks of our big sponsors.”), professional know-how is already flowing in. The deal is initially for three years and will end in 2023. An extension will be discussed after the end of the current season. Should Turbine ultimately qualify for the Champions League group stage of the coming season, Rolf Kutzmutz would already have a dream: Turbine Potsdam in the sold-out Berlin Olympic Stadium. “That would be a real dream. We’ll make a project out of it: We’ll fill the Olympic Stadium for women’s football too,” said Kutzmutz. It would fit the picture. Because not only the cup has its own laws. But also Turbine Potsdam.
Broadcast: rbb24, April 18, 2022, 10 p.m
Source: rbb