In the current European Championship squad of the German women’s national team, there are only three players with a migration background. Why is that?
At first, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg did not receive any objection when the national coach saw the German women’s national team as an example of diversity and openness.
Her deputy captain Svenja Huth recently made it public almost casually that she used the short vacation before preparing for the European Championship to marry her partner. The 31-year-old spoke in Herzogenaurach in front of the camera “the wedding with my loved ones”but now she wants to go full throttle for the European Championships in England (July 6th to 31st).
But it is also a fact that in the mother country of football, Germany will, as in the previous tournaments, compete with a team in which the players with a migration background can be counted on the fingers of one hand. There are only three of 23 players: Nicole Anyomi, whose father is from Togo and her mother is from Ghana, and Sara Doorsoun, daughter of an Iranian father and a Turkish mother. There is also Kathrin Hendrich, who has a Belgian mother, was born in Eupen, Belgium and also has both citizenships.
The new DFB Vice President knows the topic
A quick glance at the team photo is enough to see that the DFB women are less diverse than the men. The women’s national team reflects a basic problem that is often overlooked. German football does not manage to attract enough players with a migration background – and that could even threaten its existence in the long term, as the new DFB Vice President Silke Sinning thinks.
The team photo of the DFB women at the European Championships in England
After her election to the DFB board, the sports scientist, who had long been in charge of the subject in the Hessian Football Association, said: “Basically, I think that women in typically male-dominated sports such as boxing or soccer have it easier these days than men who are interested in sports attributed to women such as synchronized swimming, ballet or ice dancing.”
However, the local clubs find it difficult to get into family structures in which the man still has the classic leadership role. Therefore, according to Sinning, “For me, the kindergarten and the school are the first approach to creating offers here. If the girls here are enthusiastic about football, then they also manage to convince their father that they want to play football in the club.”
The declines are alarming
The latest DFB member statistics show that there are again 2.21 million players involved in organized matches. Not that many since 2017/2018. But 2.02 million active boys and men face only 187,000 players. Although the proportion of girls up to the age of 16 in particular rose sharply to more than 103,000, the overall trend is downwards.
In 2016/2017, the DFB still had 279,640 players. It is no secret that the dramatic decline is also related to the fact that, unlike in neighboring France, it is apparently not possible to pick up enough women and girls with a migrant background. That is why DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said: “We have to become more diverse, the statistics clearly show that – whether with the members, the active players, the coaches or in refereeing. Football has great potential here.”
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf knows the problem
While more than half of the selection players in the male U16, U17 or U18 national teams have a migration background, this proportion is significantly lower in the female teams, although the DFB does not collect any official statistics on this. Neuendorf answered the corresponding request from the sports show as follows: “The fact that we have problems in women’s football has bothered me since I was president of a regional association (Mittelrhein, editor’s note) where we are much closer to the problems of the clubs. I agree with you, the numbers are alarming. “
The 60-year-old hopes that from the EM in England “certain impulse” runs out “I think a little bit of that spills over.” In addition, the joint application with the Netherlands and Belgium for the 2027 World Cup should bring a boost.
Sara Doorsoun is also concerned
Current national player Sara Doorsoun is often asked about the subject, the Eintracht Frankfurt defender has a significant number of followers on her social media from Iran. “Fortunately, it was never an issue for me that I wasn’t allowed to play. I’m very grateful for that, because I know that there are still many girls who have to fight for it.”says the 30-year-old.
“A friend of mine, Tugba Tekkal, who used to play for 1. FC Köln, is now very committed to ensuring that girls with a migration background also play football. I saw people knock on the door and reassure their parents needs her girls to be picked up for practice and taken home afterwards.” All in all, the topic is very complex, so she cannot say that you have to do this or that.
National players with a migration background: Nicole Anyomi and Sara Doorsoun
But what she can say: “Of course, it helps if Dzsenifer Marozsan, Nicole Anyomi or I are there and girls can say: There are also some with a migration background playing in the national team. Maybe then parents will also give up cultural reservations.” Only three or four role models are perhaps a bit too few.