DFB general secretary Heike Ullrich has spoken out against the men’s Bundesliga being obliged to have a women’s department as part of the licensing process.
“In fact, we discussed the opportunities and risks. However, we see the danger that the women’s departments would in some cases only be a fig leaf. That would do much more harm than good,” said the 52-year-old in an interview with ” picture on Sunday”.
Ullrich cited Hamburger SV as a negative example: “They deregistered their women’s team from professional football in 2011 for alleged financial reasons. And a short time later they bought Rafael van der Vaart for 13 million,” she said. “But it’s good that they are now building up women’s football step by step again out of their own motivation.”
The new DFB vice-president for girls’ and women’s football, Sabine Mammitzsch, referred to the effect of the success of the footballers, for example, at German champions, cup winners and Champions League semi-finalists VfL Wolfsburg: “It’s really good for the club. And actually From a sporting point of view, the women at VfL would then have to earn more money than the men.”
In their opinion, the clubs should act because they realize: “This is an asset for us.” Developing the market so that higher salaries are paid, “that’s one of our tasks,” says the 62-year-old.