German men's football sees small increase in women in boardrooms

Women in top jobs in German men's football remain the exception, but their share is rising, a report by the FKM organization showed on Thursday.

The report said that nine out of 94 leading positions (9.6%) in club boardrooms in the Bundesliga and second division were held by women last season. A year earlier their share was 6%.

Clubs filled 18 posts relevant to the survey last season, with four going to women. Among the four new appointments was Tatjana Haenni of RB Leipzig, the Bundesliga's first female chief executive.

In 2024-25, only one of 19 vacant top boardroom positions was filled by a woman. 

"The male decision-makers we have today mostly have not yet had the chance to see what a woman could bring," Haenni said in an FKM interview.

At least seven of the 36 clubs had at least one woman in top executive management in 2025-26. 

"The typical person in top management is male, German and about 50 years old," the FKM report said. "On average, he has held the current leadership position for 5.9 years and has been employed full-time at the club for 9.2 years."