Football – Eintracht President Kumpis calls for more diversity in football

Were the holidays suitable for the president of Eintracht Braunschweig to not think about football?

I always go to bed thinking about blue and yellow, I’ve been a Eintracht fan since I was a child. We find ourselves in a challenging sporting situation, so the short winter break is really not the most comfortable time. I suffer from this as a supporter and as a president. Where tradition and passion combine, things can sometimes get restless.

Since March 2022, you have headed a founding member of the Bundesliga, which is based in a league that has never seemed so attractive.

We have really great clubs with a long history in the Bundesliga and huge stadiums in this league and we feel very comfortable there as Eintracht Braunschweig. There are many who tell me that they currently find this league more attractive than the Bundesliga.

Should be this attractive in the distribution of television money be given greater weight?

The first league is still the premium product. Nevertheless, we cannot downplay what certain clubs have achieved. Supposed underdogs have done very well to position themselves for the future after the corona pandemic, which has particularly hit clubs with large spectator numbers more severely. Nevertheless, this aspect must be considered during distribution if fan interest is also massively reflected on television stations. In principle, you should think about increasing the share for the 2nd Bundesliga.

Interview

dpa/Britta Pedersen

Nicole Ham50, has been President of Eintracht Braunschweig since March 2022 and is the only woman in this position in German professional football. She came to Eintracht through her father and was already in the south curve as a child. The qualified social worker works full-time for the German Red Cross in Braunschweig and Salzgitter.

Many people talk about the big difference between the 2nd Bundesliga and the Bundesliga. But isn’t the gap to the 3rd league much bigger?

We have experienced ourselves that there is an incredible gap from league two to league three. The last relegation in 2021 led to huge cuts in the various television funds. There is a solidarity fund, but hardly any professionals agree to a second division contract that takes relegation into account. That’s why the roster changes are so big.

Would be relegation in Braunschweig existenzthreatening?

We have already been in the 3rd league several times and would gain a foothold there again, but only with considerable restrictions. And the question would be whether this location would even make it back to the 2nd Bundesliga in a timely manner. That’s why we’re really doing everything we can to stay in the league. We started the season full of euphoria, but ended up down to earth. The second half of the season must be much more successful.

What is certainly making matters worse is that the VW crisis is shaking the entire region. How badly is your club affected?

The topic is of course omnipresent with the locations in Wolfsburg, Braunschweig and Salzgitter. Some of the employees in the VW factories are also our fans; their fears for the future or their existence do not stop at the gates of Eintracht. We also look at the situation with concern. Both Volkswagen and Volkswagen Financial Services are important, long-standing sponsors and partners of Eintracht.

Football has often been described as society’s last bonfire. Currently, the division has increased extremely due to issues such as war, terror or migration. Do the licensing associations have a special responsibility?

This aspect has been significantly promoted by clubs and associations in recent years. We have also had a foundation with many projects and a clear mission statement since 2015. I believe that football can be a very great voice because it can address challenges and multiply issues, but it cannot solve these problems and cannot provide the glue for society. This has to come from politics, local authorities, states and the federal government.

Was the home European Championship this summer too brief a flash in the pan for solidarity?

The European Championship was good advertising for German football, which some clubs noticed as registration numbers increased. Many sustainability goals have also been achieved, perhaps the subsequent European Championship (2028 in Great Britain, editor’s note) can improve this even further…

But the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico becomes do not set any standards in this regard. In 2030 it will even go to six countries on three continents, followed by Saudi Arabia in 2034. What do you say about the attitude of the DFB and the DFL in agreeing to this award?

The DFB has made a decision to protect its interests. For moral reasons, I would have preferred something else and not agreed to an award. In keeping with our mission statement, we would not have agreed due to various concerns, but we were unable to participate in this decision-making process.

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You could have addressed your criticism directly to Hans-Joachim Watzke.

There are DFL member meetings at which critical voices can be expressed on all topics. This certainly happens, verbally, in writing or through the media, but in this case the expressions of our concerns clearly did not have a lasting impact on the DFB’s decision-making process.

Suppose you received an offer from Eintracht Braunschweig to play two friendly games in Riyadh for one million euros. Would you accept?

No. We have a clear stance on this.

Saudi Arabia is criticized for human rights violations and its handling of women’s rights. However, German professional football still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to diversity. The first annual report of the “Football Can Do More” (FKM) initiative revealed that the vast majority of licensed clubs do not have a woman in their top positionsmanagement hat.

I would like it if we didn’t just talk about gender diversity. Football would do well to be so diverse that we take into account all dimensions of society that are inclusive, integrative and age-diverse. The FKM annual report gives us, among other things, a good report with two women on the executive board in Braunschweig, but we are still far from where we want to be. FC St. Pauli is doing well, now a woman is taking over as chairman of the supervisory board at Borussia Dortmund. These are first steps, but at the first level there are very few of us women. I am the only female president. In general, diverse teams are much more efficient.

Are you proud of being confirmed in your position?

When two teams of five took part in the election campaign for the first time in Eintracht’s history in 2022, it was actually not a special issue in Braunschweig that men and women were running for the top office, but it was nationally. Not only was I re-elected in 2024, but I also achieved such good results in the discharge that the members are obviously satisfied with my work. In order to position the club for the future, we had to break down some encrusted structures and are currently working on gradually implementing new ideas and processes.

What was it about?

We offer recreational and/or competitive sports in 13 departments, but the infrastructure for sports is not just a concern for us: hall times are short, sports fields are often not in good condition. Membership growth is therefore becoming more and more of a challenge. We are now at 7,800 members and have set a target of 10,000 for 2026; However, we cannot accept members who do sports without offering something in return. That’s why our own infrastructure projects will be the focus of our work for the next few years.

They repeatedly emphasize that there must be a culture of trust, openness and honesty in the club’s management. Presidents like to speak out from time to time …

That doesn’t exist for me (laughs)but of course I give directions and bear overall responsibility for decisions made. We do this through democratic processes, for which we have sat down with all stakeholders across organizations at Eintracht. The registered association, the foundation and the corporation, i.e. all committees, members, employees and sponsors, were involved for a whole year in developing the strategy for the next few years. There were dialogue formats, surveys and closed meetings so that every member could get involved. For us, decisions are not simply passed down from top to bottom. This is really well received here and works sustainably because everyone can see themselves in the results.

But surely it takes time and energy?

Yes, it’s a strenuous journey because we don’t always agree. We don’t always all cross a bridge – sometimes one of us stays standing. Then we have to find an alternative to cross the river. It sounds metaphorical, but that’s exactly what it is. Ultimately, it’s all about advancing unity together. That’s why you have to sit down at the table again and again. Speechlessness would be the biggest problem here.

The active fan scene is also part of this culture of dialogue. Especially when the derbies against Hannover 96 come up, good persuasion no longer seems to help with some things.

Despite the disbelief caused by some actions in recent derby history, we should not stop analyzing in a differentiated manner. Through our dialogue formats with representatives of various fan organizations and institutions, we indirectly reach many of our fans. But there are still groups with whom it has not yet been possible to exchange ideas. We will never be able to collect everyone. It is these minorities who abuse a derby as a stage by starting fights or using pyrotechnics as a weapon against other stadium visitors. This is absolutely unacceptable. Violence is not part of fan culture, not even at a derby.

To what extent does your job as a social worker help with your job as president?

I only work for Eintracht Braunschweig on a voluntary basis. My main job is still with the German Red Cross in Braunschweig and Salzgitter. Of course, the experiences from my many years of professional activity are incorporated into Eintracht, especially since I like to inspire people to take part. But I am not in demand here as an educator, but as a president.

How is the effort distributed in a normal working week?

For me it’s 40 or 50 hours in my main job, and then there’s about 30 or 40 hours a week for Eintracht. I work for the DRK during the day and work for the club from late afternoon to late evening and usually on weekends. I have developed my own strategies to manage all of this. And before the question comes: Looking back, I haven’t regretted it for a moment. I was happy to invest every minute for Eintracht and will continue to do so.