In 2023, we will once again present the annual Futsal Development Report for the year 2023. In this report, we aim to provide an overview of the development of futsal in Germany and discuss both positive and weaker trends. We have already presented the statistical data in detail in our podcast episode 168 (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oHxcXQkAVjHCboESRZUAy)
National team and Bundesliga
First of all, we would like to celebrate the fantastic development of our national team. For the first time ever, our DFB-five has qualified for the elite round of the World Cup qualifiers and has created record-breaking crowds in Bielefeld and Göppingen. We are very proud of the team’s performance and hope for further successes.
The development of the Bundesliga, on the other hand, is rather stagnant. The number of spectators remains constant and there are no significant improvements. However, all teams have completed the season. The low point was certainly the game cancellations of SFC Stuttgart in the top game against Hot 05, Wakka vs. SFC and Regensburg vs. Weilimdorf („Rainfall of Regensburg“). One highlight was the full house and live stream at the HSV Panthers game against FC St. Pauli. Although the quality at the top is increasing, we must once again point out that this is currently primarily achieved through the increased acquisition of Futsal mercenaries from abroad. We hope that the Bundesliga will soon receive more attention and continue to develop positively through more youth development.
The development in the promotion/relegation playoffs to the Bundesliga is positive. The clubs made significantly more advertising on social media this year and the halls were sometimes fuller than in the Bundesliga itself. The groups were also exciting.
Development Futsal-Clubs und Futsal-Teams
As every year, we have taken a closer look at the quantitative development of futsal teams and clubs in Germany. We only counted teams and clubs that are active in the year-round (more than 3 months) game operations of the DFB and have a net playing time of 20 times 20 minutes. Hobby or winter leagues, such as Bremen, Lower Saxony, South Baden, or Thuringia, were not taken into account. For the first time, we have included the Women’s Regionalliga West in the calculation, which has existed since 2015/2016.
Looking at the top graph, we must observe a disappointing development in futsal’s breadth. Compared to last season, we have 11% fewer clubs and 13% fewer teams. Currently, there are only 117 teams in regular game operations and 98 clubs. This is the lowest value since the 2014/2015 season. This is an alarming trend that we must examine closely. Similarly, we can look critically at the Regionalliga Southwest. It remains uncertain whether there will be a Regionalliga at all in the coming season.
However, there are signs of positive development. In the winter leagues, a total of 30 teams (in 28 additional clubs) were involved. Here are the numbers from the individual federal states:
- Südbaden: 6 / 6
- Thüringen: 11 / 10
- Niedersachsen: 8 / 7
- Bremen: 5 / 5
Sum´mary
It is clear that while Futsal is showing a positive development at the top level, its development in terms of breadth is not satisfactory. We must now ask ourselves what we can do to strengthen Futsal in the broader sense. Only in this way can we achieve long-term and successful development of Futsal in Germany. Two pieces of the puzzle are certainly the return to the term „Hallenfussball“ (indoor football, better approach for non-Futsal involved) and a stronger integration of Futsal elements in football youth development in the youth performance centers.
To strengthen Futsal in Germany, the DFB is investing more in social media and live streams. For the next season, Bundesliga clubs are allowed to stream every game themselves, which is not streamed by the DFB. We believe that this is an important step to inspire more people to engage with Futsal and to achieve greater outreach.
Entwicklungsberichte der letzten Jahre:
Mister Futsal 