Slow but Steady Progress for Women in Bundesliga Top Management in 2026

The 2026 report by "Fußball kann mehr" reveals that women's representation in top management roles in Bundesliga clubs has inched upward but remains limited. Women now hold 9.6% of the highest operational leadership positions across Germany's first and second division football clubs, up from 6% the previous year. Despite this modest rise, 29 of 36 Bundesliga clubs still maintain all-male top management teams, with only seven clubs having at least one woman in these roles. Tatjana Haenni at RB Leipzig stands out as the Bundesliga's first female CEO.

Further layers of leadership show better female presence; about 19.44% of second-management-level positions are held by women, contrasting with just 11.8% representation on supervisory boards. Clubs like FC St. Pauli have made notable strides, implementing a 30% female quota on its supervisory board and achieving over 30% female representation across multiple leadership levels, highlighting the positive impact of diversity on decision-making quality.

Katja Kraus, chair of the advisory board of "Fußball kann mehr," emphasized the slow pace of progress, pointing to a lack of transparent promotion criteria and suggesting that licensing requirements could help boost female leadership. Nevertheless, four of 18 leadership positions were secured by women in the past year—a promising increase from one the previous year. This incremental progress underscores ongoing challenges but also highlights emerging success stories, signaling a cautious optimism for gender diversity in German football's top management.