Fuss about ex-national players
Basler criticizes women’s football – presenter horrified
02/25/2026 – 3:57 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Mario Basler is confronted with old statements – and continues to do so. The person he is talking to reacts clearly.
Ex-national player Mario Basler has been known among German football fans for his blunt statements and controversial views since his time as a player. A reputation that he has cultivated for years as a “TV expert”, with regular table slogans that time and again cause hooting and laughter among a correspondingly socialized part of the followers.
But now there was an unpleasant scene for the 57-year-old in the ARD podcast “Mario Basler – Last Type”, which was published on Tuesday.
Podcast presenter Katharina Reckers spoke to the former Bayern professional about a “Bild” column published in 2013. In it, Basler explained: “Football is not for women. If girls want to run around on the grass, they should set up a net and play tennis. Like at Wimbledon. That’s sexy! But women’s football? Nope!” And two years earlier he had already suggested that goalkeepers could hang their laundry on the goalpost during games. In 2025, Basler said he would get “eye cancer” from football.
Confronted with statements from the “Bild” column in the podcast, Basler now said: “I’m still in favor of it. Nothing has changed.” Reckers, visibly dismayed, asks twice: “Really? Really?”
He then added: “That has nothing to do with football. Just when the women run, when they shoot, when they tackle. When do you ever see a tackle from a lady, from a woman?” What’s more: “I stand by it: It’s not a women’s sport.”
Reckers then replied that it might be a better decision to “maybe shut up” in such moments. The excerpt from the conversation has already been widely shared on TikTok and other social media.
In the full podcast episode, in which the discussion is longer and sharper than in the short SWR video, Reckers also reports: “After our conversation, he realized that he had crossed a line with me.”
Women’s football continues to grow in Germany: the stadiums are becoming increasingly popular, and Bundesliga games are increasingly being played in large arenas. The average attendance rose from just under 2,700 spectators last season 2025/26 to just under 3,500 per game. The TV ratings are increasing, international matches now reach an audience of millions. However, this development has not yet reached Mario Basler.
