German women's clubs to form their own league body without DFB

The 14 women's Bundesliga clubs will found their own league organization FBL without the German Football Federation (DFB), several clubs said in a statements on Thursday.

The FBL was originally planned to be set up together with the DFB at the DFB campus on December 10. Statements said that it will now be founded in Frankfurt's stadium on the same day.

The Bild paper said that the reason for the surprise move were "unacceptable demands" by the DFB after the contract talks had been completed.

"It was all the more surprising for us clubs that the cornerstones negotiated are now being called into question," Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said in a club statement.

Eintracht Frankfurt's Axel Hellmann said the clubs were "disappointed that agreements already made with the DFB are not reflected in the contract materials, in our view. For this reason, the founding act will now take place without the involvement of the DFB."

The clubs said the foundation without the DFB is "contrary to the original plans and clubs' intentions" and that it is "still open at this stage" whether the process will be continued with the DFB in the future.

The aim of the FBL is "ensuring the modern, professional and sustainable development of the women's Bundesliga and strengthening the commercial potential of professional women's football.

"The basis for the merger of the clubs is the intention to invest significantly in women's football, to promote it in sporting terms and make it more visible in society, thereby raising it to a new professional level."