BRING IT ON – Europe’s most exciting league?
Germany had a very successful Euros – despite the various injuries, red cards, and forces seemingly conspiring against them. The domestic league – Frauen Bundesliga – meanwhile, has been one of Europe’s strongest for a while, if a tad predictable. But could all this change, asks Dakota Johnson?
The popularity of the club game has seen a surge, and more teams than ever are looking to take advantage of this new-found popularity. With some of the best players on the continent and some of the best fans watching them, the Frauen Bundesliga is coming into its own.
Starting at the bottom
2025-26 will be the first season that the Frauen Bundesliga will be played with 14 teams, two more than in previous years. In order to do this, only one team was relegated from the league (Turbine Potsdam), instead of the usual two. This means that there will be three newcomers in the league this season; Union Berlin, FC Nurnberg, and Hamburger FC. Meanwhile, Carl Zeiss Jena survived the drop because of the reduced relegation spots, but may not be so lucky this season.
Two of the newly promoted teams are associated with top-tier men’s teams, whilst Nurnberg men play in Bundesliga 2. Unfortunately, as we saw with Potsdam last season, it is becoming increasingly difficult for teams not associated with top men’s teams to compete at the higher level, which is worrying for Carl Zeiss Jena going forward and may also pose some concerns for Nurnberg.
Same old, same old?
Looking at the other end of the table, we should expect it to be business as usual at the top. Champions Bayern have one of the best squads on the continent, and despite losing Sydney Lohmann to Manchester City, almost all of their key players remain at the club, although Pernille Harder (below, right) picked up a hamstring injury at Euro 2025 and will probably miss the early season. Eight Bayern players featured in the semi-finals (including Georgia Stanway, centre, for England; plus Lea Schüller and Klara Bühl for Germany, left), a huge testament to their quality. However with many players having played many games over the summer, Bayern’s rivals will be hoping they get off to a lethargic start.
The Pretenders
Which brings us to our challengers; Wolfsburg and Frankfurt. Wolfsburg’s squad boasts some top names in the game, former Germany captain Alexandra Popp remains at the club, whilst 26-year-old midfielder Janina Minge made a name for herself at this year’s Euros and is a huge asset.
There have, however been a couple of losses – top Icelandic talent Sveindis Jonsdottir has left for Angel City. This is a huge loss for Wolfsburg, but they will be hoping that new signing Australian forward Sharn Freier will be able to step into her boots and get off to a quick start. After a difficult few early weeks in Germany with an injury, Freier’s first season in Europe could be off to a slower start than she’d have wanted, but she’s now back to fitness just in time for the season to begin, and the She Wolves and their squad are looking to regain their status as Germany’s best team.
Frankfurt could be at their best in years, and have put together a team that could easily finish in the top three. Midfielder Géraldine Reuteler was incredible at the Euros for Switzerland, and having been at Frankfurt for seven years she is one of their most experienced players at only 26 (and they are fighting to keep her). Fellow Swiss star Nadine Riesen and Germany’s Elisa Senß also made breakthroughs at the Euros, and should continue to flourish at Frankfurt.
Additionally, Amanda Ilestedt has signed on a free transfer from Arsenal, the UWCL winner bringing even more experience to the team. Frankfurt will be hoping she can fill a gap left by the departure of a few key players, including Barbara Dunst who has moved to Bayern, and Sophia Kleinherne who has made the move to Wolfsburg. Ilestedt’s arrival may have been prompted especially by Kleinherne’s departure, who would have left a huge hole in defence – plus, signing her on a free transfer is almost risk free. Sadly for both the player and Wolfsburg though, Kleinherne picked up a few injuries at the Euros and will miss the start of the season, in what is a blow all round.
Looking East
While it looks to be business as usual in Germany, there is still room for surprises. Leipzig have been quietly working away in the background for a couple of seasons, and will be looking to make a real breakthrough this season.
Germany forward Giovanna Hoffmann (below) was in talks with Manchester United, but the move has stalled and for now she remains at the club. Keeping hold of her would be huge for the team, as Hoffmann was a key squad member for Germany in this year’s Euros, and scored 11 goals for Leipzig last season.
Meanwhile, Hungary international Diana Nemeth joined from Wolfsburg this May, a versatile young defender who is also known for her ability going forward, which could be just what Leipzig needs to be able to strike up a challenge.
Overall, the Bundesliga is looking very interesting this season, and whilst it looks like Bayern will be difficult to topple, the quality of the league is improving rapidly. Keep your eye on it – it looks like we’re in for a great season.
TL;DR
Champions: Bayern Munich
Relegated: Carl Zeiss Jena, Nurnberg
UWCL Places: Bayern, Wolfsburg, Frankfurt
Surprise package: Leipzig
