The amateur football club market - Germany

The market for amateur soccer clubs includes all players in German soccer whoare not classified as professionals (i.e., all players in German soccer outside the Bundesliga, 2nd Bundesliga and 3rd Bundesliga). The structure of German amateur soccer is hierarchical. At the top level are the regional leagues, followed by the upper leagues and the various association leagues at the regional level. Below that, there are a large number of district and county leagues, in which most amateur clubs are active. Depending on the size of the city or region, there are different numbers of leagues and divisions. The market for amateur soccer clubs thus includes the amateur licensees of the soccer association as well as the management bodies of the clubs, the equipment suppliers, the club structures, etc. The market for amateur soccer clubs thus includes both the amateur licensees of the soccer association and the management bodies of the clubs, the equipment suppliers, the club structures, etc. In Germany, soccer is still the most popular sport today, and the German market for soccer equipment accounts for a large share of the global market . In 2020,3.15 million people aged 14 and older in Germany reported playing soccer frequently.[AWA, 2020] In addition, the German Football Association ranks as the largest association within FIFA, with more than 24,000 soccer clubs and around 7 million members. [DFB, 2021] German amateur soccer has seen a large increase in the number of female licensees, both among players and among female managers and regional or local governing bodies. There are numerous equipment suppliers in Germany that equip amateur soccer, including Puma, Adidas and Nike, but also lesser known ones such as Erima and Jako. the following study looks at current trends and challenges in the industry. In addition, the market structure and competition are analyzed to present insightful information.