Nike offers women's Bundesliga up to €15 million loan

From 1 July 2027, the independent Women’s Bundesliga, in which national player Klara Bühl is active, can take out a flexible loan of up to 15 million euros from equipment supplier Nike, as a letter from the newly founded FBL e. V. to the clubs, which the German Press Agency has, shows.

Nike provides credit line

The credit line of up to 15 million euros is offered at an interest rate of 1.5 percent per year. Nike has declared the fundamental willingness of Nike to grant the FBL e. V. a flexible credit line, as the letter to the clubs confirmed by the press.

reported first about the plan and quoted the document, according to which the financing “provides a considerable scope for the building and development phase of the Women’s Bundesliga”. The statement underscores the strategic importance of the loan for the new league.

The long‑standing partnership of the DFB with Adidas ends this year, while Nike will equip the national teams from 2027. This change reflects the growing role of the global corporation in German football.

In April it became known that the German Football League (DFL) can borrow up to 100 million euros from Adidas. The sports equipment manufacturer provides the men’s league association with a corresponding loan framework for this.

The Women’s Bundesliga will no longer be organised by the DFB from the upcoming summer. New details on the spin‑off were unanimously approved last week at the digitally held extraordinary DFB congress.

The league association FBL e. V., founded in December, which already represents the interests of the 14 top‑flight clubs, will take over from the 2027/28 season alone the responsibility for the Women’s Bundesliga. Thus the league becomes independent and legally separated from the DFB.

The DFB has concluded with the FBL a lease and a basic agreement, which regulates the legal, organisational and financial relationships between the two associations. These agreements secure the long‑term cooperation despite the structural separation.