German women's league: Clubs have to meet minimum salary requirement

Ahead of the start of the new season of the women’s Bundesliga on Friday, the president of the women’s league association FBL stressed that the clubs have the responsibility to meet the minimum salary requirement.

“There isn’t a single Bundesliga club that cannot and must not meet the minimum salary requirement if it wants to remain in the top women’s Bundesliga in the long term,” FBL boss Katharina Kiel told dpa.

Starting in the 2027-28 season, the German women’s top tier will become independent of the German Football Federation (DFB) and be marketed and organized by the FBL.

However, there is currently no minimum base salary in the league. The most recent figure discussed was €3,000 ($3,506.55) gross. According to a DFB report for the 2024-25 season, the average monthly base salary was around €4,500.

For the upcoming season, there are significant differences between top clubs – such as Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg, and Eintracht Frankfurt – and smaller clubs such as Nuremberg and Mainz 05. According to Kiel, the goal is to strengthen the professional status of female players.

For the 2026-27 season, 29% of the women’s Bundesliga players have a gross monthly base salary of less than €3,000, the DFB told dpa.

However, bonuses and other compensation could be added to that amount. In addition, this group also includes youth players who are part of the extended roster, rather than the main roster.

Kiel warned against setting expectations too high regarding the league’s development. She said it was necessary to take a few steps back first and clarify what women’s football in Germany should stand for.

“There are 14 clubs, and their answers to this question will be taken into account,” Kiel said.