Prize money doubled for women's German Cup but still way behind men

Female footballers have seen their prize money for the German Cup doubled for next season, the German Football Federation (DFB) said in a statement on Saturday.

The DFB will be paying out a total of just over €1.7 million ($1.8 million), with the Cup winners receiving €150,000 and the runners-up €100,000. A payment of €5,000 will be made to all first-round clubs.

Compared to the men's competition, however, the sums are still much lower. From the first round to the semi-finals, €67 million will be paid out in German Cup prize money to the men's clubs, with each first-round participant automatically receiving €209,453.

The men's Cup winners will receive an additional €4.32 million from a separate pot, while the runners-up will receive €2.88 million.

The increased prize money in the women's competition is due to "centralized marketing of the quarter-finals and semi-finals for the first time as well as a fundamental increase in sponsor interest in the German Women's Cup," according to the press release.