Bavaria's dream couple under pressure: Does Harder and Eriksson continue?

Bavaria's dream couple under pressure: Does Harder and Eriksson continue?

Ingolstadt, Deutschland - Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson have been part of FC Bayern Munich since 2023, where they act together as a dream couple in football. However, their contracts run until 2026 and the uncertainty about their future in Munich is growing. Harder emphasized that the decision to stay beyond 2026 is not just in her hands. In her first season for FC Bayern, Harder scored an impressive 14 goals and five assists in the Bundesliga, while Eriksson only came to eleven missions due to injury. Despite these challenges, Eriksson described the move to Munich as the "perfect decision" and emphasized the importance of a happy environment for both players.

With the commitment of Stine Ballisager and Vanessa Gilles, the situation for Eriksson could change in the squad. She sees herself and Harder as role models in women's football and is proud to play in an open environment for homosexual athletes. At the same time, she indicates that after 2026 a possible change could be in the Bayern squad, as there are then several contracts.

international stage

Another significant moment in Erikssons and Harder's career recently took place in Odense when they both played against each other as team captains. Eriksson said that it was a "very proud moment" when they exchanged the pennants. In this Nations League match, Sweden prevailed 2-1 against Denmark. Eriksson spoke of the importance of this victory and announced that there was still room for improvements in the performance of the Swedish team.

The encounter was not without controversy. After a duel with Eriksson, Harder had to be treated for an injury, which led to a discussion about the situation. Eriksson was of the opinion that she would have won the ball and deserved a free kick.

challenges in women's football

Women's football faces numerous challenges, not only in the sporting area. Financial inequalities are still a central topic. Women earn significantly less than their male colleagues. There are reports of players who have to practice an "ordinary" profession in addition to sport to make ends meet. An example is Alina Mailbeck from 1. FC Nürnberg, who works as a policewoman and has found a flexible part -time solution in her professional life to meet the requirements of football.

Current statistics show that 62% of players earn less than 2,920 euros in the women's Bundesliga, while 35% remain below 2,000 euros. The German Football Association (DFB) pursues a growth initiative for women's football and discusses a minimum salary that could be between 2,190 and 3,650 euros. In comparison, the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA recently completed a TV contract of $ 240 million, which underlines the gap in the marketing between women and men's sports.