Essen: The last bastion of women’s football

With full stadiums, growing TV numbers and an ever-expanding enthusiasm for the sport, women’s football has certainly found its place in society. The upturn of recent years is no brief trend but proof of a deep change in sport, in perception and in the attitude of many people.

The biggest men’s clubs in Germany have also acknowledged that potential, with the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Schalke and more now fielding their own women’s teams. In the Ruhr District, where football is so engrained in the fabric of life, women’s football long stood in the shadow of the men’s version. But in Essen, they’ve been battling to overcome resistance and making history for over half a century.

A rocky road to the top

It all began on 21 March 1973 at a club called SC Grün-Weiß Schönebeck. It was at a time when women on a football pitch were still laughed at, but a group of undaunted players still decided to create their own section within the club, working against prejudice, resistance but for the passion for the game. With perseverance, idealism and a great deal of voluntary work, this grew into a movement that firmly established women's football in Essen.

Some 27 years and several promotions later, the club merged with VfB Borbeck. SGS Essen was born. And with it, a club that to this day stands for consistency, being down to earth and passion. Essen have been in the Bundesliga for over two decades – longer than almost any other club. Only the women's teams of FC Bayern and Eintracht Frankfurt (formerly 1. FFC Frankfurt) have been in the Bundesliga for longer. There have been no major titles to date. But what has really made Essen great is not trophies or medals, but stories of solidarity, perseverance and quiet greatness.

Focus on youth development

Talent and development club are probably the most commonly used words associated with Essen. Promoting youth has long been part of the club's DNA. No other club in the league has produced more top players than the purple and whites. Anyone who plays in the Bundesliga or even for the national team is likely to have their roots in the stadium on Hafenstraße.

Essen's concept is clear: talent should be discovered as early as possible and developed both athletically and personally. For years, they have been focusing on young players, and this season the Ruhr club once again have the youngest squad in the Bundesliga, along with RB Leipzig and Nürnberg. In Essen, young talents have the opportunity to gain a lot of playing time and experience at the highest level early on, preparing themselves for the next steps in their careers. Beke Sterner, for example, who joined SGS at the age of 17, can look back on 112 Bundesliga appearances at the age of just 22. There are plenty of such examples in the Essen ranks, making the club a flagship for youth development.

Oberdorf, Dallmann and Schüller with Essen backgrounds

High-profile examples of players for whom Essen served as a springboard to higher spheres can also be found among the ranks at Bayern. Lena Oberdorf, Linda Dallmann and Lea Schüller all came to the Ruhr as teenagers and developed there from Bundesliga debutants to established Germany internationals. While Oberdorf played for SGS between 2018 and 2020, Dallmann (2011-2019) and Schüller (2012-2020) both spent eight years at Essen.

And given these examples, it is only logical that Essen, together with Bayern, is one of six Bundesliga clubs that were recognised as performance or talent development centres for women at the beginning of this year. The development and promotion of young female players make Essen one of the most attractive destinations in Germany for young talent in women's and girls' football.

Last women standing

In a league that is now almost entirely dominated by men's clubs, Essen are truly unique: the last all-women's football club in the German top flight. Clubs such as 1. FFC Frankfurt and FF USV Jena merged with larger men's teams long ago, while Turbine Potsdam were relegated to the second division. “Now we are the last woman standing,” said former SGS midfielder Lily Reimöller, summing up the situation when Turbine were relegated two years ago. 

This season

Essen have had a difficult start to the current season. After seven matchdays, they have just one point to their name to sit bottom of the table. But they’re used to crises in Essen, and standing still has never been an option there. The club's management reacted decisively, as coach Robert Augustin and sporting director Thomas Gerstner resigned from their posts to enable a fresh start.

The fact that SGS are currently fighting to stay in the division is arousing sympathy in many places, not only in the Ruhr. Essen is a club that stands for passion, being down-to-earth and producing genuine pioneering work in women's football like no other. And anyone who knows the history of this club knows that giving up is not part of their vocabulary.

🏟️ FC Bayern Women host Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on 12 November: 

🔍 Find out how Bayern’s players got on over the international break: