Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 have announced the inception of a Women’s football team starting next season.

“A women’s team will be added into the Kreisliga B this coming season (Herne, Bochum and Gelsenkirchen division), with an U17 Junior women’s team competing in the Kreisliga (Herne, Gelsenkirchen and Recklinghausen),” the club announced in a official realease on the club website. “Each year then, another youth side will be formed from the U15s downwards in order to facilitate a natural build up of the women’s division.”

“Bodo Menze, often referred to as the “father of the Knappenschmiede”, and who has been a huge part of the club for many years, will oversee this formation,” the club added.

Bodo Menze, designated Director of Women’s Football, said: “I’ve watched a lot of women;’s football over the last few years, especially during the World Cup and was extremely excited by the quality football on show. It’s ever since then that I’ve been wanting to create a women’s football team here and I’m so happy that I’m able to do that now. As a board member of the Schalke Markt foundation, I’ve always tried to live by their motto ‘Preserve tradition – Shape the future’ in trying to make football better, just as they’ve helped the Schalke-Nord region. Therefore I’m extremely excited to be a part of the women’s football project here at Schalke 04, and we’ll be in talks with everyone shortly about what will happen next.”

Jochen Schneider, Sporting Director, added: “By establishing a new women’s and girls’ division, we want to expand our range of sporting endeavours. We’re incredibly excited to see women and girls finally playing football for our beloved Schalke. Our main focus is within the academy and amateur sports as we look to develop and new branch of youth sports that girls and women of all ages can call home.”

The first training sessions will take place auf Schalke on 18th and 25th July, as well as 1st August 2020. Any footballers who are interested can go to frauenfussball@schalke04.de and enter their details to sign up. The women’s team will take on those born before 1st January 2004, and the girls’ teams will take on those born after this date.