Scholz puts equal pay demand to football bosses

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday took his equal pay demand directly to the German Football Association (DFB) in Frankfurt. Scholz addressed the issue in a statement to reporters following a tour of DFB headquarters.

The question is: "How can we get more girls interested in football? And bonuses are part of that," the 64-year-old chancellor said. "My point of view is well-known. From my point of view, this is something political and different from salary negotiations."

DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, who, along with Vice President Celia Sasic and Director Oliver Bierhoff, accompanied Scholz on his tour, expressed a willingness to discuss the issue, although he stopped well short of committing to the principle of equal pay. 

Equal work, equal value?

Neuendorf, who took the helm of the DFB in March, said he understood the argument that "that equal work and success must and should be valued equally. ... I am prepared to discuss in our committees whether our bonus system is still up-to-date or whether it should be adjusted."

The chancellor said he welcomed the fact that the DFB appeared open to making changes on the issue.  

Scholz first took up the cause of equal pay for Germany's men's and women's footballers in a tweet posted during the group stage of this summer's Euros in England.

"It's 2022. Women and men should be paid equally," the chancellor tweeted. "This also applies to sports, especially for national teams."

Scholz reiterated his sentiment on German public television during the halftime break in the final, which Germany lost 2-1 to England in extra time. 

Germany's women each received a bonus payment of €30,000 ($30,700) for finishing second at the summer's tournament. They would have received €60,000 had they won the title. By comparison, the German men would have received bonuses of €400,000 had they won the Euros in 2021.

Call for Bundesliga minimum wage

Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg used a public television appearance over the weekend to praise the chancellor's efforts. 

"But then we also have to do something about it. Not just talk, but also follow up with action," she said. The coach, who has also called for a minimum, livable wage for players in the Bundesliga, also said she believed the current momentum in women's football makes real change possible.

"The European Championship generated a lot of enthusiasm. That's why I'm very proud of the women and hope that it will have a long-lasting effect," the chancellor added.

International issue

The issue of equal pay between the men's and women's national teams has been a bone of contention over the past couple of years. This past May, US Soccer announced that it had reached an agreement to equalize the World Cup prize money awarded to its men's and women's teams.

"This is a truly historic moment. These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world," US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said.

A number of other football associations, including those of Finland, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, had previously announced deals to implement equal pay for their men's and women's national teams.

Edited by: Matt Pearson