The Women’s DFB Cup Final on Friday is a repeat of 2013. On their way to securing the treble, VfL Wolfsburg beat 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam 3-2 in Cologne. Potsdam manager Bernd Schröder would like to make amends for the defeat and lift the cup for the first time since 2006. His VfL counterpart Ralf Kellermann, however, wants to be successful and expects a top-drawer match. DFB.de caught up with both managers to talk about Friday’s final at the RheinEnergieStadion (17:15 CEST).
DFB.de: Mr Schröder, you’re through to the DFB Cup Final with Turbine Potsdam for the third time. You’ve lost on both previous occasions. Is it going to be the case of third time lucky?
Bernd Schröder: We definitely wouldn’t be opposed to that being the case but it will be very difficult to win. Wolfsburg are extremely strong opponents. We’ll do everything possible to match them. My feeling is that it’s our turn this year.
DFB.de: What do you reckon, Mr Kellermann?
Ralf Kellermann: My hunch is that it’s going to be a real footballing spectacle. Winning the DFB Cup doesn’t have any effect on next season because we’ve already qualified for the Champions League. We can therefore travel to Cologne without any real pressure on our shoulders and are simply looking forward to participating in this excellent event. This year, the date is also perfect so everything is just right.
DFB.de: The teams previously met in the DFB Cup Final back in the 2012-13 season. It finished 3-2 to Wolfsburg. What did you make of that game?
Schröder: Wolfsburg stormed into a 3-0 lead. We tried to stage a comeback, but it wasn’t enough and the match finished 3-2. We were very disappointed afterwards because we would have really liked to lift the cup.
Kellermann: For us, it was a very special situation. We had won the Bundesliga title just a couple of days before and we were set to play in the Champions League final just four days after the cup game. I know that we certainly weren’t at our best that day and the 3-0 lead was unbelievably flattering. After that we capitalised and were clinical. I have fond memories of that outstanding day. Ahead of this season’s final, we’ve shown the team footage of that day in order to get them fired up.
The Women’s DFB Cup Final on Friday is a repeat of 2013. On their way to securing the treble, VfL Wolfsburg beat 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam 3-2 in Cologne. Potsdam manager Bernd Schröder would like to make amends for the defeat and lift the cup for the first time since 2006. His VfL counterpart Ralf Kellermann, however, wants to be successful and expects a top-drawer match. DFB.de caught up with both managers to talk about Friday’s final at the RheinEnergieStadion (17:15 CEST).
DFB.de: Mr Schröder, you’re through to the DFB Cup Final with Turbine Potsdam for the third time. You’ve lost on both previous occasions. Is it going to be the case of third time lucky?
Bernd Schröder: We definitely wouldn’t be opposed to that being the case but it will be very difficult to win. Wolfsburg are extremely strong opponents. We’ll do everything possible to match them. My feeling is that it’s our turn this year.
DFB.de: What do you reckon, Mr Kellermann?
Ralf Kellermann: My hunch is that it’s going to be a real footballing spectacle. Winning the DFB Cup doesn’t have any effect on next season because we’ve already qualified for the Champions League. We can therefore travel to Cologne without any real pressure on our shoulders and are simply looking forward to participating in this excellent event. This year, the date is also perfect so everything is just right.
DFB.de: The teams previously met in the DFB Cup Final back in the 2012-13 season. It finished 3-2 to Wolfsburg. What did you make of that game?
Schröder: Wolfsburg stormed into a 3-0 lead. We tried to stage a comeback, but it wasn’t enough and the match finished 3-2. We were very disappointed afterwards because we would have really liked to lift the cup.
Kellermann: For us, it was a very special situation. We had won the Bundesliga title just a couple of days before and we were set to play in the Champions League final just four days after the cup game. I know that we certainly weren’t at our best that day and the 3-0 lead was unbelievably flattering. After that we capitalised and were clinical. I have fond memories of that outstanding day. Ahead of this season’s final, we’ve shown the team footage of that day in order to get them fired up.
DFB.de: Mr Schröder, do you have a score to settle?
Schröder: Yes, you could put it like that. Losing two years ago really hurt. We still haven’t forgotten about it. We want to make amends – also for the fans. Moreover, it’s been a long time since we last got our hands on the cup. We last won back in 2006 and it feels like a small eternity ago. Lots of our current squad weren’t here back then. It would be a first for them. We certainly want to win.
DFB.de: Do you also want to win in order to finish a rather mixed season in the Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga on a high?
Schröder: Yes, obviously. We’ve suffered some really bitter defeats, which still hurt to think about today. For example, I’m still frustrated by the fact that we lost 1-0 to Bayern München twice. It’s important to mention though that in the past ten years we’ve won 18 titles. We’ve claimed six Bundesliga titles, triumphed twice in the Champions League, won the DFB Cup on three occasions and been victorious seven times in the DFB Indoor Cup. Of course we can get over going a year or two without winning a title. But this phase mustn’t last much longer, that would fail to meet our own standards too. It is, however, becoming more competitive and increasingly difficult to win.
DFB.de: Mr Kellermann, your team has won almost everything that there is to win recently. You won five out of a possible six titles – a great run, isn’t it?
Kellermann: Yes, not much more is possible. It was an unbelievable two years and will still have the chance to add to our haul this season. It would be nice if we could add another DFB Cup title to our record. It’s an outstanding competition that gets a lot of coverage in the media and is broadcast live on television.
Schröder: Hats off to Wolfsburg for their recent achievements. Their success in the Champions League goes to show once again that the standard of football in Germany is one of the best in the world. I think that we should therefore be awarded at least three Champions League qualifying places.
DFB.de: The situation in Germany is actually extraordinary. Four clubs, Potsdam, Wolfsburg, München and Frankfurt, have been battling for the title this year. Is this another reason why it’s becoming increasingly difficult to win?
Schröder: Yes, of course. It mainly used to be a battle between ourselves and Frankfurt and Duisburg were also in the mix for a couple of years. Rarely before has it been so close.
DFB.de: Is that not a good thing for women’s football in Germany?
Schröder: People can see it differently. It’s certainly a good development for adding extra excitement to the title battle. What worries me though is that the gap to the lower teams would continue to grow. It’s caused a real two-tier division.
Kellermann: I agree with Bernd Schröder with regards to the table. In the long run, teams in fifth place and lower can’t keep up with the top four. They simply lack consistency. When two sides play against each other, I don’t think that the gaps between the teams are any bigger than before. None of the encounters, regardless of whether you play Essen, Jena, Freiburg or Sand, are foregone conclusions. We’ve seen evidence of that this season as there were one or two surprising results.
DFB.de: Do you think that the gap between clubs in the table will remain or do you reckon that there’s a team in Germany that could close the gap?
Schröder: I honestly don’t know at the moment. I don’t know which teams could have these ambitions. There’s also the problem that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to sign players who can keep up at this level. We’re trying to resolve the problem by developing good youth academies. If we’re quite honest, we’ve unfortunately, with the exception of Pauline Bremer, not managed to develop and bring through much home-grown talent over the past two years.
Kellermann: In the short and medium term, I don’t see any teams that could pose a lasting challenge to the top four. Teams are working hard but the gap is still quite big. It’s a lengthy process to get into a position to threaten the top end of the table.
DFB.de: Let’s look ahead to next season. How are preparations going?
Schröder: We’ve already done quite a lot with regards to planning and preparation. I think that we’ve strengthened our squad. For example, we’ve secured the services of a good goalkeeper in Lisa Schmitz from Leverkusen. I’m pleased that we could take Frankfurt’s Svenja Huth and Bianca Schmidt. We’ve also signed SC Sand players Patricia Hanebeck and Allison Scurich. Lisa Evans will leave us for Bayern München, while Genoveva Anonma is moving to Portland Thorns in the USA. I’m pleased that they’ve got these opportunities. During their time here, they both contributed a lot.
DFB.de: Mr Kellermann, how are your prospects?
Kellermann: We signed Julia Simic in winter because we needed to react to the news of Nadine Keßler being sidelined. We agreed a deal with Yuki Ogimi. That transfer was originally planned for summer but then we were given the option to complete the move sooner. In summer, Lara Dickenmann and Elise Bussaglia will join us from Lyon. Both will immediately help us to develop further. We also want to slowly introduce Synne Jensen to playing at this level. She is only 19 years old and is very talented. Martina Müller has unfortunately recently announced that she’s retiring at the end of the season. It hurts us a lot as she was a very important player. We’ll look at how to deal with this, but we don’t need to immediately go out and replace her.
