The sports funding law has cleared the next formal hurdle; the draft bill passed the federal cabinet on Wednesday. Christiane Schenderlein, Minister of State for Sport and Volunteering, described the decision of the black-red government coalition in front of media representatives as a “milestone for top-class German sport”.
The CDU politician explained: “We want to strengthen the performance of top-class German sport; this requires structural changes.” The clear goal is to win more medals at international competitions. The reform focuses more strongly than before on performance and potential.
The Federal Council still has to agree
The law still has to pass the Bundestag and the Bundesrat; the 44-year-old did not comment on a specific timetable on Wednesday. After the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, however, according to Schenderlein, the work should be “completely” taken over by the top sports agency, which should be the centerpiece of the reform. “In this way, we create clear responsibilities and shorten decision-making processes,” said the minister.
DOSB criticizes plans
The agency should be based in Leipzig – also to ensure independence. The Frankfurt am Main-based German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) criticized this choice on Tuesday through its CEO Otto Fricke; the former FDP member of the Bundestag accused politicians of going it alone in making this decision, which must be discussed “in the parliamentary process at the latest”. The DOSB would have favored Frankfurt; there had recently been speculation about plans to settle under the association’s umbrella.
The board of the top sports agency should make funding decisions “based on clear sports criteria,” emphasized Schenderlein. The board of trustees, which will be made up of six representatives from politics and three from organized sports, acts as a kind of supervisory board that makes fundamental structural decisions. The board of trustees is considered a key position; criticism from the sport has been sparked by the distribution of seats since the first draft bill in October 2025.
“Securing old people power structures”
DOSB, but also the Athletes Germany Association, also expressed dissatisfaction with the revised draft that had become known the previous week. Schenderlein argued that it was important to ensure “that the use of tax resources remains democratically legitimate.”
Tina Winklmann, spokeswoman for sports policy and volunteer work for the opposition Alliance 90/The Greens, criticized: “Today’s cabinet decision is not a departure for top-class sport, but rather the safeguarding of old power structures. The coalition is missing the chance for real reform.” Aspects such as safe sport and independent participation by athletes are neglected. The draft remains “despondent in the crucial places” and is “a wasted opportunity”.
