national player
Lena Oberdorf: Salaries in men’s football are no longer affordable
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (l) and midfielder Lena Oberdorf. photo
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
National player Lena Oberdorf finds clear words in the debate about equal pay for men and women in football.
National player Lena Oberdorf has for excessive salaries in the Men’s football no understanding. “These are dimensions that are at stake that are actually no longer bearable as a human being,” said Oberdorf in an interview with “Sports Illustrated”.
“If you read 100 million euros, 200 million euros, that’s an incredible amount if you imagine this chunk of money.” When asked if she would like women to get paid as much as men one day, Oberdorf replied: “No, I have to be honest. Men’s salaries are completely out of our reach.”
The VfL Wolfsburg midfielder emphasized that she does not aim to match the men’s salaries, but wants to be paid according to her performance. The 21-year-old noted that there is no point in pursuing an amount of money that doesn’t exist. Instead, Oberdorf has set itself the goal of getting more people excited about women’s football and getting them into the stadium through a larger reach.
Discussions about salaries and bonuses in women’s football have gained prominence in recent years. While some advocates call for an alignment, others point out that the financial differences between men’s and women’s football are based on various factors. In men’s football, for example, the income from television rights, sponsorship and stadium visitors is significantly higher.