"Far removed from reality" Clubs must introduce a gender quota from January, otherwise there will be less money
What has applied to national sports associations since the beginning of 2025 will also apply to local clubs from 2026: without a gender quota, there will be no more Youth+Sport funding. Not everyone thinks this makes sense.
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- From January 2026, clubs will have to meet new requirements in order to receive Youth+Sport subsidies.
- The reform is based on the Federal Council's Sports Promotion Ordinance in response to grievances in sport, known as the "Magglingen Protocols".
- Clubs must include a gender regulation in their statutes. Checks are carried out on a random basis and sanctions are only imposed in the event of repeated violations following a warning.
From 1 January 2026, local clubs in Switzerland will have to adhere to stricter regulations in order to receive Youth+Sport subsidies from the federal government. For example, they will have to introduce a term limit for board members and set a gender quota in their statutes.
The reform was triggered by the amendment to the Sports Promotion Ordinance initiated by former Federal Councillor Viola Amherd - a reaction to abuses such as those that became known through the "Magglingen Protocols".
The regulation has been in place for national associations since the beginning of 2025: at least 40% women and 40% men must be represented on the board. However, in October, an analysis by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung revealed that more than half of sports associations are failing to meet their quota for women.
"Far removed from the reality in the clubs"
Regional clubs are now also facing a challenge. Although Swiss Olympic also recommends a 40% share of women, it is only mandatory that the clubs define their own quota.
Luigi Ponte, President of the Aargau Football Association, criticizes the obligation in the "Aargauer Zeitung" newspaper: "It just means more bureaucracy and is far removed from the reality in the clubs," he says. Ponte expects the Federal Office of Sport not to immediately cut Y+S funding if a club has not revised its statutes on time.
The Federal Office of Sport replies that it does not check the actual composition of the board, but whether gender regulations and measures relating to equality and diversity are anchored in the statutes.
Every year, 100 to 400 clubs are to be randomly inspected - with a "sense of proportion and moderation" in the case of defaulting clubs. "The refusal or reduction of subsidies is only envisaged as a consequence if a club does not comply with the conditions despite a prior formal reminder and grace period," says spokeswoman Rebekka Balzarini.
