The storm of jubilation for the German soccer players at the reception on the Römerberg is over.

In Frankfurt there is still hope for a little tailwind for women's football in the city - and especially for girls.

Because while the appearance of the German national team at the European Championship left an excellent impression and will probably give the women of Eintracht a Bundesliga attendance record at the season opener against Bayern Munich on September 16th, there is a crisis at the base.

The numbers in girls' football have been declining for years, even in the self-proclaimed capital of women's football, where there are signs of a trend reversal after the end of the corona restrictions.

Daniel Meuren

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

  • Follow I follow

Mike Josef (SPD), who received the national team in his function as Head of Sports, also avoided using the word “hype”, which is all too often used.

"I know the reality.

We should be careful there and do our job so that things can move forward,” says Josef.

“As a city, we have to improve the conditions for girls to be able to play football.

We have to encourage them to also acquire football pitches, where mostly boys rule.”

places are missing

Roland Frischkorn also emphasizes this task.

"We still have too few places, sports fields such as football fields.

The shortage affects all sports," says the chairman of the Frankfurt sports district.

"As a result, clubs have the problem of creating training times for girls." However, Frischkorn would also like to see more creativity from the clubs, to make good use of the little space available and, in case of doubt, to divert at least a quarter of the playing area for girls if there is no other way .

He expects a similar rethink when it comes to encouraging girls.

“In youth centers we find too often that social workers too rarely see sport as an opportunity to empower girls.

I wish that they not only look after girls, but also accompany them when they fight for their right to play football or basketball.

Siegfried Dietrich, chief representative at Eintracht, meanwhile feels an upswing in the youth.

"The eagle on the chest is attractive for talented players, so we're noticing an influx.

For the youngest girls, we need to intensify our cooperation with schools to make it easier for them to play football.” He sees clubs like Eintracht as having a duty to demonstrate that football is a matter of course for everyone.

However, football has a hard time, especially among girls with a migration background.

Joti Chatzialexiou, Frankfurt-born sporting director of national teams at the German Football Association, sees a lot of potential here.

"We have to create role models for these girls, then football can have an impact on society." Chatzialexiou also calls for sports funding to be reconsidered.

"We're lagging behind," he says.

“In other countries, the cooperation between school and sport works better.

Politicians, clubs and associations must develop a coherent concept.”

So it is fitting that Mayor Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg (The Greens) proposes joint projects in a letter to the DFB to anchor the values ​​of sport in society.

"A soccer team is like society," she writes.

"Without solidarity there is no success." And there could soon be no storms of jubilation.