German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his support of equal pay in football as he attended the women's national team friendly against Sweden on Tuesday.
Scholz had said last week he would be present at the game in Duisburg to show his appreciation for the women's game in Germany.
He had last year during the European championships in England called for equal pay for members of the German men's and women's national teams, which unlike in other countries has not happened yet.
"I will remain on the ball and I will continue to do so," Scholz told broadcasters ZDF after meeting with women's team coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and German Football Federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf.
Scholz said that the readiness to deal with the matter has grown which he named "a good sign."
The chancellor and Neuendorf had a first exchange last year at the new DFB campus where Scholz had named equal pay a political issue rather a wage negotiations matter.
Voss-Tecklenburg welcomed the meeting and the presence of Scholz for their first game of the year highlighted by the World Cup in June and July in Australia and New Zealand.
"We are happy that Olaf Scholz is a guest at our first international of the year. It is a strong signal at the the start of this sporting important World Cup year!" Voss-Tecklenburg said.
"The meeting with the federal chancellor was an interesting and serious exchange which we would like to keep alive and continue in the future."
