Women’s Bundesliga: A league to go away?

Felicitas Rauch’s departure from Wolfsburg to affix North Carolina Courage within the US was a shock. That it got here per week after Bayern Munich’s Lina Magull left to affix Inter Milan was a shock. Two seasoned Germany internationals have left their homeland for the prospect to play overseas. But are the strikes an indication of a much bigger shift in ladies’s soccer or simply two gamers searching for one thing new?

When Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson joined Bayern Munich at first of the season, not solely did the ladies’s Bundesliga look set for an additional thrilling title race but it surely additionally appeared Germany’s high league was turning into a extra widespread place to play. Georgia Stanway had joined simply in the summertime earlier than and immediately the Women’s Super League (WSL) in England was now not only a league Bundesliga gamers left to affix but additionally arrived from.

With the brand new media rights deal arriving this season that noticed round $5.4m (€4.9m) anticipated per 12 months, a 16-fold enhance, the newly named Google-Pixel Frauen Bundesliga regarded destined for it is greatest season but — even when it nonetheless did not have its personal social media channels and the scheduling was a little bit unusual.

2024: a 12 months of change?

Fast ahead to January 2024, and the image appears to be like a little bit totally different. Granted, the title race remains to be as thrilling as ever however each Bayern and Wolfsburg, two golf equipment who stay amongst Europe’s elite, have extra occurring within the departure column of their switch enterprise than the arrival one.

Bayern, who not too long ago noticed Maximiliane Rall go away to affix the Chicago Red Stars, signing 36-year-old Swedish legend Linda Sembrant on mortgage was extra of a obligatory enhance to a depleted defensive unit reasonably than a giant splash. Wolfsburg have solely made one signing, defensive prospect Diana Nemeth.

With the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) sealing a $60m (€55m) a 12 months media rights deal within the USA (40x greater than the earlier one) final 12 months, and the WSL in England on the verge of a brand new deal anticipated to be a lot greater than the present one (reportedly simply shy of $10m/€9m per season), the Bundesliga’s new deal immediately appears to be like paltry within the massive image. Without the funding of males’s golf equipment, stand-alone ladies’s groups in Germany are having a tougher job of surviving.

Furthermore, one look on the record of the brand new signings within the US and the UK this January is a reminder of what even Bayern and Wolfsburg are fighing in opposition to. Just days earlier than the league restarted after the winter break, “The Telegraph” reported that Chelsea’s Jessie Fleming was set to signal for the Portland Thorns for a league report payment of practically €300,000.

Perhaps it is also simply two gamers who wished one thing totally different of their profession and now that ladies’s soccer has lastly developed sufficient internationally such strikes are extra possible. As Rauch not too long ago informed “Kicker” in interview, “it’s not just England, Barcelona or Lyon” as selections as of late. The 27-year-old leaves Wolfsburg after two league titles and, following an harm, is trying to regain her kind and place within the nationwide aspect. Magull leaves Bayern after over 100 apperances and two league titles, and given the midfielder has performed in Germany for 15 years, a change feels completely justifiable.

But it is also arduous to flee some sense of Germany’s league falling behind. After Euro 2022, there was a want for the nationwide crew’s run to the ultimate to switch into lasting change. With the arrival of a brand new sponsor and extra groups investing within the ladies’s recreation, a few of that change has already come, however the league remains to be enjoying catch up. Although higher visibility is a extra urgent subject, some big-name arrivals to spice up the Bundesliga’s place in world soccer would actually assist, significantly after a poor World Cup displaying in Australia and New Zealand. In the meantime, the league must hope its soccer can do sufficient speaking.

Edited by: James Thorogood