Progress in Women's Football, but: Further Measures Demanded

The pay and professionalisation in women's football is a much-discussed topic.

The younion sports union has now published a new survey. It enquired about the progress of professionalisation among 158 players from the first league and 176 players from the second league.

The results show: The proportion of players with professional employment has significantly increased since the first major player survey.

At the same time, many female footballers still cannot make a living from the sport and bear a considerable part of the financial and health risks themselves. The situation in the second league, which was examined for the first time, is particularly precarious.

Bundesliga: Professional Positions More Than Doubled

In 2024, only 26 percent of the surveyed Bundesliga players had a professional contract.

Currently, 53.8 percent state that they are marginally employed, part-time or full-time. However, this development should not obscure the fact that only 8.9 percent are employed full-time and merely 12 percent can concentrate solely on their profession as a footballer.

57 percent receive a maximum of 720 Euros net per month from the club as expense compensation.

"The fact that the proportion of players with professional employment has more than doubled since 2024 is progress and shows that public pressure and the work of player representation in conjunction with the younion sports union are having an effect."

"But 14 full-time contracts in the entire survey do not yet constitute a professional league. Those who demand professional sport must also create professional working conditions," says younion player representative Thomas Pichlmann.

High Personal Costs for Professional Players

A central shortcoming in the first league: female footballers often pay themselves to be able to practice their sport.

86.7 percent of the surveyed players have to spend their own money on equipment. There is also a significant need for action regarding social security.

Only 37.3 percent are certain that they are insured against accidents through their club. For 75.9 percent, the player covers treatment costs fully or at least partially herself.

78.5 percent had already been injured, and of those, 63.7 percent had at least one knee injury.

Secondary Employment Necessary in the Second League

A completely different picture emerges in the second league.

Less than 4 percent of players have marginal, part-time or full-time employment. For the vast majority, football is therefore not a livelihood: 97.7 percent work, study or attend school.

From the club, 94.2 percent receive a maximum of 500 Euros net per month, and 27.5 percent receive no money at all. At the same time, 91.9 percent have to pay for their own equipment.

Medical Coverage Alarming

Medical coverage is particularly alarming.

Only 4 percent of players are certain that they are insured against accidents through the club. 71.1 percent have to bear treatment costs for injuries entirely themselves.

Of the injured players, 48.2 percent felt insufficiently supported by the club.

"Second league players complete training and matches in addition to their education or profession. Nevertheless, nine out of ten pay for their equipment at least partially themselves. If they get injured, many are also left to cover their own treatment costs."

"These are not amateur footballers, but high-performance athletes. They deserve binding minimum standards and security that won't leave them alone in case of injury," says former national team player and younion representative Stefanie Enzinger.

Clear Majority for Collective Bargaining Agreement

Despite the difficult conditions, players view the overall sporting development positively: In the first league, 78.5 percent rate the past three years as good or very good. In the second league, it is even 88.9 percent.

However, this sporting optimism stands in contrast to the perceived professionalism. In the first league, 56.3 percent consider the league to be not very professional or not professional at all, while in the second league, it is 50 percent.

"Contracts, income, and social security must keep pace with the sporting development of women's football. Expense compensation can be a supplement, but it must not become a permanent substitute for regular employment and social insurance," emphasizes Pichlmann.

Union Demands

The desire for binding regulations exists in both leagues.

In the first league, 67.9 percent advocate for a collective bargaining agreement with minimum wages as well as regulated rights and obligations. In the second league, it is 63.6 percent.

Training camps for female footballers seeking a club also find broad support: 96.2 percent of first league players and 94.2 percent of second league players consider such an offer useful.

The participants of the camp for contract-less players 2026 >>>

This year's record number of participants at the younion sports union's professional camp shows how great the demand for this offer is.

The younion sports union therefore demands:

• more regular and socially insured employment relationships,

• mandatory written agreements for all players,

• clear regulations on accident insurance and the assumption of treatment costs,

• binding medical and sporting minimum standards,

• a gradual development towards working conditions regulated by collective bargaining agreements.

The football representative of the sports union, Stefanie Enzinger, concludes: "Since 2024, things have changed. Now it's about transforming individual advancements into reliable structures. No player should have to choose between her sporting career and her financial or health security."