r/svw

Women’s football is booming: How does Werder plan to keep up?

An increasing number of major clubs are looking to make a significant mark on the Bundesliga. Werder is apparently in the process of spinning off its women’s football operations to attract new investors.

https://preview.redd.it/lwgyukepz2uh1.png?width=660&format=png&auto=webp&s=e9b38beb18dee53362a2723ed49f17012d5ba190

The boom in German women’s football continues to grow. This coming summer, the independent Women’s Bundesliga (FBL) will launch, separating from the German Football Association (DFB). Over the next eight years, up to 800 million euros are set to be invested in the FBL to boost international competitiveness.

🇩🇪: https://www.butenunbinnen.de/sport/frauenfussball-bundesliga-werder-zukunft-100.html

This represents massive investment in a league where many clubs are still striving for profitability. Werder Bremen is one of them; here, too, the women’s football division is currently operating in the red. How does Werder intend to keep pace in the future?

Werder increases budget to 4.2 million euros

Werder’s women’s team broke records during the last Bundesliga season, achieving a tally of 43 points from 26 games—a feat unprecedented in the club's history. Keen to build on this success, the club raised its seasonal budget by approximately 700,000 euros, bringing the total to 4.2 million euros.

Even so, this amount will not be enough—a reality felt by other league rivals as well. For the 2024/25 season, the DFB reported record Bundesliga revenue of 43 million euros. However, the average revenue per club was 3.6 million euros, set against average expenses of 5.8 million euros.

Werder plans to spin off women’s football

To date, clubs have typically cross-subsidized their women’s football teams through their men’s departments—a model Werder Bremen also employs. However, with the league’s restructuring, many clubs aim to gradually end this dependency. According to reports by *buten un binnen*, Werder Bremen plans to spin off its women's football operations from the club's professional subsidiary into a separate entity to make it more attractive to investors. Werder has not yet officially confirmed the move.

https://preview.redd.it/3v3gfvdsz2uh1.png?width=660&format=png&auto=webp&s=0c8137610d8257a66e652964d3a5eae47d07fe18

11 Werder departures with no transfer fees

Werder needs strong investors for its women's football program, as funds are already tight in the men's sector. Over the summer, the Bremen club parted ways with eleven Bundesliga players—receiving no transfer fee for any of them—while signing eleven new players. Werder itself emphasizes that it is "financially very well positioned" in women's football, according to Dominik Kupilas, the new head of the women's football department.

Kupilas says there is no concern that Werder Bremen might be left behind financially. However, the pressure is mounting. An increasing number of clubs that play major roles in men's football are pushing into the women's game.

More big clubs want to compete

Newly promoted sides Stuttgart and Mainz 05 have invested in their departments; consequently, Werder coach Friederike "Fritzy" Kromp believes they are "no longer the typical promoted teams we’re used to—the kind that might immediately find themselves fighting against relegation."

These are teams that want to compete in the Bundesliga—teams that make it even harder for rivals like Werder to hold their ground in the upper half of the table. Union Berlin has also increased its budget, while RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt are in a significantly stronger financial position than Werder.

Werder follows suit but still lags behind

Werder has long since felt the pressure. Last year, "Platz 11"—the small stadium serving as the home ground for the women's football team—was renovated. While the changing rooms now meet basic standards, other competitors are far more advanced in terms of professionalism regarding training conditions and infrastructure.

A second Bundesliga match is scheduled to take place at the Weser Stadium this season. However, Werder is proceeding very cautiously in this regard; clubs like Hamburger SV and Union Berlin play all their home matches in their main stadiums, thereby offering fans a sense of consistency.

Werder continues to need plenty of creativity

Coach Kromp would like to see the club's leadership show a bit more boldness in these matters. Consequently, she and her coaching staff currently have only one option when it comes to squad building: creativity. Lacking the necessary financial resources, they have to hope for the occasional stroke of luck in recruitment—something that seems to have paid off with the signings of Japan's Mei Shimada and Belgium's Elena Dhont.

It remains to be seen, however, how long the Bremen side can keep pace in the league following their strong start. The fact is that an increasing number of rivals are positioning themselves better than the Bremen club. Without a financial windfall, Werder will continue to need plenty of creative ideas to avoid falling further behind the big clubs."