Women's Bundesliga to be run by independent body from next season

Sept 19 - The German Football Association, DFB, has leased the organising rights of the top-tier Women's Bundesliga to an independent body run by clubs for seven years starting next season, delegates in the DFB's legislative body decided by unanimous vote on Friday.

The 14 Women's Bundesliga clubs agreed to split from the DFB in December, forming the Women's Bundesliga Association, or FBL e.V., which will take over the league from July 2027.

"The new model is broadly based on the structure in men’s football regarding the relationship between the DFB and the Bundesliga. Unlike in men’s football, however, the Women’s Bundesliga 2 remains under the umbrella of the DFB," the DFB said in a statement.

England's top-flight Women's Super League made a similar move to independent governance from 2024, seeking commercial autonomy and specialised professional growth.

"The spin-off ... is in line with the wishes of the clubs and the FBL e.V. The delegates have today acted on this wish, and I very much welcome that," said DFB Vice President Heike Ullrich.

The FBL e.V. will receive €1.4 million ($1.6 million) annually from the DFB, with the amount increasing by €200,000 in years when the Women's European Championship or the Women's World Cup is held, plus half of the profit generated by the women's national team's participation in the tournaments. REUTERS