The Frauen Bundesliga makes its anticipated return this weekend. Is this the season women's domestic football in Germany both develops and delivers for players and spectators?
Wolfsburg won their fifth Bundesliga title in eight seasons last seasonImage: Christian Modla/dpa/picture alliance
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When Euro 2022 runners-up Germany returned home on August 1, they were greeted by a throng of over 7,000 fans who had spent July enthralled by their teams unexpected journey to the final.
This Friday, a record-breaking Frauen Bundesliga crowd is expected to greet Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich when they meet at Frankfurt's Waldstadion.
It is also not to be overlooked that the season's opening match is taking place at Frankfurt's men's arena – a signal of the continued growth and progression of the women's game within Germany.
Whether this proves to be another false dawn for women's football or a pivot towards real change remains unclear.
'We hope to have started something'
At the Germany team's homecoming in Frankfurt, coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg spoke of the desire to use the impetus of the international team's successful Euros campaign to accelerate change within the domestic game.
"We hope we have started something here," Voss-Tecklenburg told DW. "We hope that the attention we received will mean more girls will want to play football.
"There is a lot of work to be done, but that was also the case before (the Euros). We just want to use the moment to add a bit more pressure."
Wolfsburg and Germany captain Alexandra Popp echoed her international coach's thoughts and revealed that her and her teammates are increasingly being noticed, as their personal popularity grows as the general interest in the women's game increases.
"When we walk around Wolfsburg now," Popp explained to DW. "It feels like everyone recognizes us and gives us positive feedback, that we played an amazing tournament.
"It's nice to be recognized and appreciated, we're pleased about that because it was one of our aims to make a splash here in Germany."
'We have to push ourselves to the limit'
Recognition, while pleasant, is limited in the impact it can garner for the improvement of wider game and many players in the footballing pyramid.
Women's domestic football remains under the auspices of the German Football Association (the DFB), with Bundesliga holders Wolfsburg and their main challengers Bayern Munich having traded the title between themselves over the past eight seasons.
Germany and Wolfsburg captain Alexandra Popp was the joint top-scorer at Euro 2022Image: Rui Vieira/AP Photo/picture alliance
The gap between the 'big two' and the rest of the league and teams further down the footballing tree is hard to ignore but Popp credits 'Die Wölfinnen' for investing heavily in the team.
"We've had to invest a lot in order to reach the top over the last few years," Popp said. "We don't ever want to stop playing football at a high level, because that's where we can develop ourselves."
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Investment key to growth
But, Popp is clear that serious sponsorship is what is necessary to help the league grow and become more competitive as a whole.
"There's an extreme hype around women's football at the moment and now it's about sustainability," the striker explained.
"That means generating sponsors, not just for the national team but also for the league, in order to build the parameters that are missing in some areas.
"We need sponsors in order to develop structures at other clubs, to invest money and place funds, so that the quality of the league improves as well."
While the bigger picture around women's football remains a hot topic in the current climate, Popp and Wolfsburg remain fully focused on ensuring another successful season on the pitch.
Wolfsburg still the team to beat
The seven-time league winners have improved their squad over the summer, signing amongst others German defender Martina Hegering – who was named in the Euro 2022 Team of the Tournament – from rivals Bayern Munich and defensive midfielder Jule Brand from Hoffenheim.
Hegering was quick to dismiss any added pressure on the team, despite knowing extra and perhaps more critical eyes will be on the team and league.
"We've got a pretty strong squad," she said. "There's no denying it but we still have to perform in every game. With new players, things need time to settle down. Wolfsburg won two trophies last season, so we've got our hands full defending those titles."
Bayern Munich have signed attacking midfielder Georgia Stanway from Manchester CityImage: Markus Fischer/Passion2Press/IMAGO
'It's a different level'
For Brand, the levels of professionalism at her new club was a driving force behind making the switch but believes Wolfsburg face stiff competition in the league this season.
"Other teams have also made good signings at Bayern, Leverkusen, Frankfurt," she said. "We've improved too. I hope that everything remains exciting but that we still finish the season on top.
"Wolfsburg's performance, their potential, the club, the team, everything they've achieved and still want to achieve, I think it's a very good club for me."
Wolfsburg will undoubtedly take some stopping on the field, but their competitors can be hopeful that with more eyes on the Frauen Bundesliga, a start has already been made in making the league competitive once more.
Edited by Michael Da Silva
The players to watch out for in the Bundesliga
As the top two clubs in the Bundesliga,Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich also feature the bulk of the league's brightest stars. However, there is also plenty of talent to go around on the Bundesliga's other 10 teams.
Alexandra Popp is a winner who plays hard and knows how to celebrate her victories. She's a leader on and off the pitch, not only at Wolfsburg but also for the German national team. The striker has won everything there is to win with the Wolves: seven Bundesliga titles, 11 German Cups, and two Champions League titles. But she's not done yet.
The 23-year-old joined Bayern Munich from Manchester City after winning Euro 2022 with England in the summer. Stanway, who can be effective in several midfield roles, has a nose for goal, having scored 30 in 94 appearances for City. She is strong in the tackle and a proven winner, having a Women's Super League title to go along with three FA Cups – in addition to her European Championship medal.
Image: Markus Fischer/Passion2Press/IMAGO
Laura Freigang (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Freigang has always been a prolific goalscorer. The 24-year-old moved to Bundesliga side FFC Frankfurt after two years of seasoning at Pennsylvania State University. Since FFC became part of Eintracht Frankfurt in 2020 she has continued to be one of the Bundesliga's top goal-getters. However, her biggest individual ambition – finishing as the league's top-scorer – has eluded her so far.
Image: Ulrich Scherbaum/Eibner/picture alliance
Lea Schüller (Bayern Munich)
The top scorer in the Bundesliga is awarded a trophy in the form of a miniature cannon – which Bayern Munich's Lea Schüller won last season. However, given the choice, the German striker would have probably traded that individual award for the Bundesliga or German Cup titles last season. Wolfsburg won both of those titles last season. Could things change in 2022-23?
Image: Sven Leifer/foto2press/picture alliance
Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
The defensive midfielder made her Bundesliga debut for Essen in September 2018 at just 16 – and it wasn't long after that Lea Oberdorf received her first call-up to the national team. At 20, she's vastly experienced but remains one of the league's youngsters. Since her move to Wolfsburg in 2020, Oberdorf has won the German Cup twice to go along with her only Bundesliga title, so far...
Image: Swen Pförtner/picture alliance/dpa
Saki Kumagai (Bayern Munich)
The 31-year-old Japanese player is one of the league's most experienced. Saki Kumagai scored the goal in the penalty shootout that won Japan the 2011 World Cup final. She has also won the Champions League five times with European powerhouse Olympique Lyon. The defender, who joined Bayern in 2021, is no stranger to the Bundesliga, having played for FFC Frankfurt from 2011 to 2013.
Image: Victor Joly/DPPI media/picture alliance
Merle Frohms (Wolfsburg)
Merle Frohms has returned "home" to Wolfsburg after a successful stint in Frankfurt. The 27-year-old was only the backup for the Wolves when she left in 2018, but now she has succeeded former No. 1 Almuth Schult – both at Wolfsburg and for Germany. Schult, 31, has moved to the United States to play for Angel City FC, an expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League.
Image: Uwe Anspach/dpa/picture alliance
Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)
If you play for Wolfsburg for as long as the Polish attacker has, you are bound to win a lot of titles. Ewa Pajor has seven German Cup winner's medals – to go along with five Bundesliga titles. However, the Bundesliga's top scorer in 2018-19 is still looking for her first Champions League trophy.
The Austrian is Hoffenheim's main weapon in front of goal, having found the back of the net 74 times in 139 Bundesliga games. The pacey attacker is difficult to knock off the ball, which may have something to do with the fact that she was a kickboxer until the age of 16. She was outstanding in that sport too, having won several world and European titles at youth level.
Image: Oliver Zimmermann/foto2press/picture alliance
Sarah Zadrazil (Bayern Munich)
Billa's compatriot, Sarah Zadrazil, is one of the Bayern players who covers the most ground and wins the most tackles during any given match. She played for East Tennessee State University from 2012 to 2015 and was named player of the year in her second season. In 2016, she moved to Turbine Potsdam before signing for Bayern in 2021.
Image: Sven Leifer/foto2press/picture alliance
Svenja Huth (Wolfsburg)
Speed, touch and experience - these are just three of the qualities Svenja Huth brings to the pitch for Wolfsburg. The midfielder is a goalscorer, but she's almost more dangerous when patrolling the right wing and delivering incisive crosses. Or when she plays her teammates into scoring positions with a clever through balls.
Image: Julia Kneissl/Sport Press Photo/ZUMA Press/picture alliance
Lina Magull (Bayern Munich)
What Svenja Huth is to VfL Wolfsburg, Lina Magull is to Bayern Munich: an offensive-minded lynchpin in midfield. Before joining Bayern in 2018, the 28-year-old Magull spent three seasons each at Wolfsburg (2013-2015) and Freiburg (2015-2018). The Germany international may hail from Dortmund, but her role model in the men's game was former Bayern men's striker Roy Makaay.
Image: Ulrich Wagner/dpa/picture alliance
Giulia Gwinn (Bayern Munich)
Giulia Gwinn joined Bayern from Freiburg in 2019. This tireless runner not only closes players down at right back but also has a strong offensive side to her game. Still just 23, Gwinn has established herself as one of the most popular players in the Bundesliga, even before Euro 2022. Gwinn boasts almost 500,000 followers on Instagram.
Image: Ulrich Wagner/picture alliance
Selina Cerci (Cologne)
Had she not sustained a torn cruciate ligament on Matchday 15, Selina Cerci probably would have finished as the Bundesliga's top scorer last season. By then Cerci had scored 13 goals for Turbine Potsdam – and it also turned out to be her last appearance for the club. The striker has moved west to Cologne for the 2022-23 campaign.
