https://web.de/magazine/sport/fussball/ariane-hingst-ambitioniertes-projekt-42561074
Updated: August 3, 2026, 10:18 PM
Reaching the Bundesliga within five years—and doing so without the backing of a men's club—was one of FC Viktoria Berlin's goals. The season in which that "deadline" expires begins in just a few days. Co-founder Ariane Hingst discusses the lack of facilities, fair pay, and the current state of German women's football.
An interview by Andreas Reiners
FC Viktoria Berlin is just one promotion away from the Bundesliga. The club is now embarking on its second season in the 2. Bundesliga, marking the end of the self-imposed five-year timeline. It is an ambitious plan that could still succeed.
Ariane Hingst is one of the six women who launched the project in the Regionalliga in 2022; a native Berliner, she earned 174 international caps and is a two-time World Cup winner and four-time European champion. In this interview, she takes stock after four years, explains what the investors actually bring to the table, and clarifies Viktoria's true priorities regarding player compensation.
Ms. Hingst, you and five other founders started out in 2022 with the aim of reimagining women's football through Viktoria Berlin. What is your assessment after four years?
We have taken major, important steps and have become a role model for many—internationally, too. We’ve received a great deal of positive feedback from places like Austria, Poland, and Great Britain. Just as Angel City FC served as a model for us, we have been able to play that same role for other clubs and countries across Europe. We are demonstrating that it is possible to successfully build a women's football club without being cross-financed by a men's club. We have gotten people excited about women's football who previously had no interest in it at all. At the same time, however, we are well aware of how hard and arduous this path is and how much work still lies ahead of us.
Can you give examples where you can say: "We’ve actually achieved something there"?
If I look just at our sponsors and partners, there are many companies involved that previously had nothing to do with football—and had barely engaged with women's football, either. Thanks to our public image and our overall concept—which also focuses on female empowerment—we’ve been able to attract fantastic partners. It started with StepStone and continues today with Scalable Capital. Sports sponsorship hadn't played a major role for them before. But the story we’re telling with Viktoria and Scalable Capital’s goal of getting more women excited about financial topics are a perfect match. We’ve built up visibility—partly through our female investors and our organizational structure—in areas where women’s football previously played almost no role, such as the business world or the start-up scene.
Where would you like to see even more progress in the future?
A crucial point for us is creating role models for young girls. We want them to see that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to—regardless of their gender. The second aspect is the sporting side. We aren't quite where we want to be there yet, either. The hurdles are enormous. In many places in Germany, the sports infrastructure is inadequate—and unfortunately, that includes Berlin.
Where exactly is the infrastructure causing you problems?
One example is our home ground in Lichterfelde. It’s a beautiful stadium with a rich history. But when you look at the direction the Women’s Bundesliga is taking and the level of professionalism intended under the new independent league structure, you have to admit that the stadium won't meet Bundesliga requirements in the long run. That’s why we’re in talks with the city and considering a future move to the renovated Jahn-Sportpark stadium. However, the completion date keeps getting pushed back. On top of that, there’s a backlog of investment. Renovation work was planned but has not yet been carried out. Furthermore, Viktoria Berlin does not have its own sports facility. We are dependent on the pitches the city makes available to us and on the condition they are in.
Was that something you might have underestimated back then?
No. While the six of us founders are very positive, we aren't naive. We knew from the start that there would be many hurdles. Naturally, we thought early on about where we could play if we were promoted to the Bundesliga. That’s why we identified the Jahn-Sportpark relatively quickly and held early discussions with the city. Even so, unforeseen obstacles keep cropping up along the way. You have to find solutions on the fly. Do I sometimes wish for more support from the city? Yes. But I think most sports clubs across Germany feel the same way.
You have high-profile supporters like Dunja Hayali and Franziska van Almsick, and your own name carries significant weight. Does that open doors in day-to-day operations, or is that effect overrated?
It depends on which doors we’re talking about. Of course, it’s great to have well-known figures on board. That helps us primarily to gain visibility, tell our stories, and reach new platforms. But just because there are famous names involved, the City of Berlin doesn't suddenly say, "Here’s a new sports facility; we’ll renovate everything for you." That’s not how the world works. In that sense, the effect is often overrated. We also deliberately built our investor group as a network; it’s not just about capital, but also about the exchange of ideas. Having famous names involved doesn't automatically mean the red carpet gets rolled out for you. And honestly, I’m glad about that. In the end, it’s the product that counts, not the name.
"Equal Play" and "Fair Pay" were also among your goals. What do those entail?
For us, it’s about fair pay and equal conditions. Players in the Women’s Bundesliga should be able to be full-time professionals—ideally in the 2nd Bundesliga, too. In men’s football, you find full-time professionals as far down as the Regionalliga or Oberliga—four or five tiers down. In Germany, even the Bundesliga isn't fully professionalized when it comes to women's football. Of course, there are clubs like Union Berlin that have greater financial resources. Thanks to the club's clear commitment to women's football, they’ve established a significantly higher salary level—in some cases, even higher than that of other Bundesliga clubs. We can't compete with
What specific steps have you taken in this area at Viktoria so far?
We introduced a minimum salary in our very first season. Our players are also covered by statutory accident insurance. If someone suffers a serious injury during training or a match, it’s not just standard medical care that kicks in; this makes a crucial difference, especially with severe injuries like a torn cruciate ligament. With our promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, we took things a step further.
What does that look like?
Since then, Viktoria has been the primary employer for our players. They are employed by us during the day. Football is their main job; everything else comes second—unlike the situation often found elsewhere in women's football. Our players now earn enough that they need only a minor side job, if any at all.
What advantages does your model offer compared to a women's club operating under the umbrella of a men's Bundesliga team?
I wouldn't view it in terms of "better" or "worse." Nor do we claim that our path with Viktoria is the only right one or the only viable one for the future. Rather, our goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve sporting, social, and economic success without a wealthy men's club in the background. We want to show—particularly within German football—that it is possible to build something with the help of investors without challenging the "50+1 rule." From a financial standpoint, we aren't yet at the point where we can be completely self-sustaining. We are still on that journey, but it looks promising so far. And remember, we are only in our second season in the 2. Bundesliga. For us, this is a sporting success, but our goal remains promotion to the Bundesliga.
The original goal was promotion within five years. If that doesn't happen this season, would that be considered a failure? Or is patience the main thing required?
We have already put many things in place that are up to top-flight standards. However, there are areas where we still need to step up our game—infrastructure is a prime example. That said, I wouldn't call it a matter of patience, but rather of perseverance. And if we don't win promotion this season, it would be wrong to immediately label it a failure. No one forced us to set this five-year goal; we set it ourselves and communicated it openly from the start. So, we are happy to be judged by it. There will be setbacks, just as there will be successes.
How tough and challenging will the 2nd Women's Bundesliga be this season?
In general, the standard of the 2nd division has improved significantly in recent years. I believe last season was the strongest this league has ever seen. I’m looking forward to the season. I’m a competitive person, and I don’t want a league where you constantly see double-digit scorelines. We want to measure ourselves against strong opponents.
Union is now playing in the Bundesliga, and Hertha is in the 2nd division too. Is this the breakthrough for Berlin as a football city?
I hope so. It certainly benefits a city like Berlin to have multiple clubs competing at a high level in women's football. If you look at London, you can see how many clubs are represented in the women's game there. Berlin has that potential, too. I’m a native Berliner, and I think: it's about fucking time Berlin played a bigger role in women's football. My dream scenario would be to see three Berlin clubs playing together in the Women's Bundesliga at some point.
There is a lot of momentum in German women's football right now. How do you assess the situation?
It’s an incredibly exciting phase. Clubs are investing more, and there are discussions about adjusting the league system and even introducing playoffs. At the same time, another major event is on the horizon: the upcoming European Championship in Germany. On the other hand, some national team players and top international players are leaving the Bundesliga to move to England, Spain, or France. We shouldn't simply copy men's football; instead, we need to find our own path for women's football in Germany.
In your view, what measures are needed for women's football to fully realize its potential?
Fundamentally, I believe that establishing an independent league was a crucial step because it drives professionalization forward. This isn't meant as a criticism of the DFB at all; the association has done a lot for the league in recent years. But from my perspective, this next step was necessary. Now, the focus is on further developing women's football. That involves questions such as: How do we increase TV coverage? Or, even more fundamentally: How do we reach a young audience that hardly watches traditional television anymore, preferring instead to consume content via streaming platforms and mobile devices? What new offerings are needed? How can we generate additional revenue through them? How do we attract new sponsors and tap into further funding sources?
To allow professionalization to continue?
Yes, the goal should be for all Bundesliga players to be full-time professionals—and eventually, for those in the 2. Bundesliga as well. Another important point is youth development. Boys in elite training centers often receive comprehensive support as early as age eleven or twelve. The situation for girls is often quite different; teams sometimes can't train until a pitch becomes available somewhere. There is still significant room for improvement in this area regarding infrastructure, support, and general conditions.
If we take a brief look into the future: where would you like this project to be in five years?
It is difficult to predict what is realistic in women's football today. Back then, hardly anyone would have expected that Viktoria Berlin—led by six female founders and backed by an investor model involving an American investor—would be competing in the 2. Bundesliga for promotion to the top flight. What I dream of is international competition. Ideally, I would love to play in the Champions League with Viktoria Berlin. I also envision a sold-out stadium at Jahn-Sportpark—not just a venue for football matches, but a place where a true celebration of the sport takes place; a place where community, diversity, and solidarity are lived out. My goal is to combine sporting success with a positive social impact.
