Women's football in Germany

Last updated
Women's football in Germany
Birgit-prinz-2008-ffc005.jpg
Frankfurt playing Potsdam in the women's Bundesliga
CountryGermany
Governing body Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V.
National team(s) Women's national team
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions
Champions League
FIFA Women's World Cup (National Team)
European Championship(National Team)
Olympics(National Team)

Women's football in Germany is quickly becoming very popular in Germany largely due to the success of the women's national team. [1] [2] [3] [ when? ]

Contents

History

Women in Germany have been playing football since the turn of the 18th century, but women playing sports were frowned upon by the general population and citizens. The "Sports Girl" did not come into fashion until the 1920s when women started to form their own clubs. Lotte Specht was one of the first female to form a women's only football club. [4] Christa Kleinhans was another pioneer of women's football in Germany. In 1955 the German Football Association declared that they would not permit women into the association stating that women were frail and unable to perform in the sport without injuring themselves. During the 1960s there was discussion about setting up a Woman's Football Association, but it never panned out.

The DFB finally officially allowed women players on October 30, 1970, but there were modifications to the rules. [5] Firstly, women were only allowed to play in warm weather. Secondly, football boots with studs were banned and the ball was smaller and lighter. Lastly, the length of a match was reduced to seventy minutes.

In 1971 a women's league was formed, with many other leagues established during the following years. [6] On September 8, 1974, the first women's champion in football was awarded to TuS Wörrstadt. [7]

The first women's DFB Cup was held in 1981 with SSG 09 Bergisch Gladbach defeating TuS Wörrstadt 5–0 in the final match in front of 35,000 spectators.

The women's national team (coached by Gero Bisanz) played its first game (as West Germany) on November 10, 1982, against Switzerland. Germany won the match 5–1. Two players who scored in the game would eventually become coaches for the national team.

In 1989 West Germany hosted the 1989 European Competition for Women's Football. The German team beat the Italian team on a penalty shoot-off. [6] This was the first women's football game broadcast live in Germany. On July 2, 1989, the German team beat the favored Norwegian team 4–1 in front of 23,000 spectators. This was an attendance record for a German women's team that would last until May 24, 2008, when 27,460 spectators watched 1. FFC Frankfurt defeat Umeå IK 3–2 in the UEFA Women's Cup.

National competition

As a result of the national team's success in the 1989 European Competition, in 1990 the DFB founded the first women's Bundesliga with twenty teams divided into two groups, a Northern Conference and a Southern Conference. [8] The Bundesliga was reduced to a single league of twelve teams in 1997. However, with the growing strength of Regionalliga compared to the Bundesliga, the DFB founded Second Bundesliga in 2004. The Second Bundesliga contained twenty-four teams divided into two groups. [9]

National team

The Germany women's national football team, organised by the DFB, are the only women's team ever to have successfully defended the FIFA Women's World Cup, winning in 2003 under coach Tina Theune-Meyer and 2007 under Silvia Neid. [10] [11] They also won eight UEFA Women's Championships (1989, 1991, [12] 1995, [12] 1997, [12] 2001, [12] 2005, [13] 2009, 2013). [14]

Women's Honours

Major competitions

FIFA Women's World Cup

UEFA Women's Championship

Summer Olympic Games

Overview
Event1st place2nd place3rd place4th place
FIFA Women's World Cup 2102
UEFA Women's Championship 8101
Summer Olympic Games 1030
Total11233

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miroslav Klose</span> German association football player

Miroslav Josef Klose is a German professional football manager and former player. A striker, Klose is the all-time top scorer for Germany and holds the record for the most goals scored in the FIFA World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germany women's national football team</span> Womens national association football team representing Germany

The Germany women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football. The team is governed by the German Football Association (DFB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frauen-Bundesliga</span> Top German womens football league

The Frauen-Bundesliga, currently known as the FLYERALARM Frauen-Bundesliga for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of league competition for women's association football in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundesliga</span> Association football league in Germany

The Bundesliga, sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga or 1. Bundesliga, is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary football competition. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga. Seasons run from August to May. Games are played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. All of the Bundesliga clubs take part in the DFB-Pokal cup competition. The winner of the Bundesliga qualifies for the DFL-Supercup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Germany</span>

Football is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members organized in over 31,000 football clubs. There is a league system, with the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga on top. The winner of the Bundesliga is crowned the German football champion. Additionally, there are national cup competitions, most notably the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Bayern Munich (women)</span> Womens football team of the German sports club

FC Bayern Munich is a German women's football team based in Munich, Bavaria. They currently play in the Frauen-Bundesliga, the top women's league in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jupp Heynckes</span> German football player and manager

Josef "Jupp" Heynckes is a German retired professional footballer and manager. The majority of his player career was as a striker for Borussia Mönchengladbach in its golden era of the 1960s and '70s, when they won many national championships and the DFB-Pokal, as well as the UEFA Cup. During this period the team played in its only European Cup final in 1977, losing to Liverpool. He is the fourth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Bundesliga, with 220 goals. He was a member of the West Germany national team that won the UEFA Euro 1972 and the 1974 FIFA World Cup titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hansi Flick</span> German association football player and manager

Hans-Dieter "Hansi" Flick is a German professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of the Germany national team. From August 2006 to July 2014, he was the assistant coach of Germany under manager Joachim Löw. In August 2020, Flick won the UEFA Champions League as the manager of Bayern Munich, completing the club's second continental treble. In 2021, he also led the side to a FIFA Club World Cup and another Bundesliga title. Alongside Pep Guardiola, he is one of the only two managers to achieve a sextuple with their team. He took charge of the Germany national team in 2021, replacing Löw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eintracht Frankfurt (women)</span> German womens association football club

Eintracht Frankfurt is a German women's association football club based in Frankfurt. Its first team currently plays in the German top flight, Frauen-Bundesliga. From 1998 to 2020, the club was known as 1. FFC Frankfurt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Berlin</span> Overview of football in Berlin

Football in Berlin, the capital of Germany, has a long history. The city contributed 24 of the 86 founders of the DFB, the German Football Association. The DFB Cup Final has been held every year at the Olympiastadion since 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annike Krahn</span> German footballer

Annike Berit Krahn is a German former footballer who played as a centre back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martina Voss-Tecklenburg</span> German footballer

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is a German football manager and former player who coaches the German national team. She previously coached FCR 2001 Duisburg and FF USV Jena. As a player, she played as a midfielder or forward, featuring for KBC Duisburg, TSV Siegen and FCR 2001 Duisburg. She made 125 appearances for the Germany national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VfL Wolfsburg (women)</span> Football club

Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg, is a German professional women's football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club is currently playing in the top division of Germany the Bundesliga. The club has won the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2013 and 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josephine Henning</span> German footballer

Josephine Henning is a German former footballer who last played as a centre-back. After making her debut for the Germany national team in September 2010, she won over 25 caps and represented her country at UEFA Women's Euro 2013 and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svenja Huth</span> German footballer

Svenja Anette Huth is a German footballer who plays for VfL Wolfsburg and the Germany national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lina Magull</span> German footballer player

Lina Maria Magull is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Frauen-Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathrin Hendrich</span> German-Belgian footballer

Kathrin Julia Hendrich is a German-Belgian footballer who plays for VfL Wolfsburg and the German national team. A versatile defender, she can play well as a centre-back, full-back, or sweeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noelle Maritz</span> Swiss footballer (born 1995)

Noelle Maritz is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Arsenal of the FA WSL. She previously played for VfL Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga and FC Zürich in Switzerland's Nationalliga A. Born in the United States, she represents Switzerland at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Hegering</span> German footballer

Marina Hegering is a German footballer. She currently plays as a defender for VfL Wolfsburg and the German national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lena Oberdorf</span> German footballer

Lena Sophie Oberdorf is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Germany national team.

References

  1. ↑ "The World from Berlin: 'Women's Football Doesn't Need Hyperbole' - SPIEGEL ONLINE". Spiegel.de. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  2. ↑ "When Saturday Comes - The non-professionals". Wsc.co.uk. 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  3. ↑ "Competition and Player Development : A comparison between South America and Germany" (PDF). Cies.ch. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "DFB: 50 Jahre nach Ende des Verbots des Frauenfußballs". SPORT1.
  5. ↑ "Celebrating 50 years of women's football in Germany". www.fifa.com.
  6. 1 2 "Frauenfußball boomt - Bis ganz nach oben ist es aber noch ein weiter Weg". Sports Illustrated.
  7. ↑ Bosley, Catherine (2007-10-16). "Women's football has come a long way in Germany | Reuters". Uk.reuters.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  8. ↑ "World Cup: German pro league brings success". ESPN.com. 18 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "Trends - Panorama - Goethe-Institut". Goethe.de. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  10. ↑ JERE LONGMANPublished: October 13, 2003 (2003-10-13). "SOCCER; Golden Goal Proves Magical as Germany Captures Women's World Cup - New York Times". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  11. ↑ "Germany Women 2-0 Brazil Women". September 30, 2007 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Deutschland: Die EURO-Bilanz". UEFA.com. July 31, 2022.
  13. ↑ "BBC SPORT | Football | Women | Germany Women 3-1 Norway Women". BBC News. 2005-06-19. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  14. ↑ Ashenden, Mark (2009-09-10). "BBC SPORT | Football | Women | England 2-6 Germany". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.