The aim is clear. VfL Wolfsburg’s ladies want to deny FC Bayern München a third consecutive German championship at all costs. After two runners-up spots in the past two years, the Wolves now want to go one better at the top of the Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga. The changes in personnel made during the summer break indicate that the title race may once again come down to a tussle between these two clubs. Or could Turbine Potsdam or 1. FFC Frankfurt be in the mix again? Or maybe even another surprise package?
Whoever wins the title, they will have to hold off the challenge of Wolfsburg – that much is clear. Coach Ralf Kellermann was able to keep the core of his star-studded squad together, including German Footballer of the Year Alexandra Popp. He was even able to strengthen his front line, with Olympic champion Anja Mittag joining from Paris Saint-Germain to form what could be a lethal strike partnership with Alex Popp.
"We want to challenge for the German championship"
Another influential figure returning home as an Olympic champion is Babett Peter. The 28-year-old is going into her third season with the Lower Saxony club. Since she joined the Wolves, the defender has hardly missed a competitive fixture.
“I’m really happy in Wolfsburg,” she said. “I’ve felt very welcome, which obviously helps a lot out on the pitch.” And when asked about her targets for the new campaign, she is equally clear in her response. “We’ve come second twice in a row now. That was important because it meant we qualified for the Champions League, which has to be our aim again this season. But obviously we want to seriously challenge for the German championship once again.”
But to do that, Wolfsburg will have to bring more consistency to their game. There were a few avoidable defeats last season that helped FC Bayern regain their crown with a ten-point lead over their rivals. “I’m absolutely convinced that it won’t be so clear-cut this time,” said Peter. “We have learned our lessons from last season and have more stability now.”
Season opener: "We’re heading to Sand as clear favourites"
From their very first game, VfL’s ladies can start to put this theory into practice. Wolfsburg kick off the new campaign away at SC Sand on Sunday (11:00 CEST). These opponents will bring back fresh memories from last season. In their first meeting, the Wolves were defeated 1-0 in their own stadium. Kellermann’s side were then given a very tough test before winning 4-2 in the return fixture in Sand, just as they were in their 2-1 victory in the DFB Cup final only a few months ago.
“Sand is an extremely difficult opponent who will push us all the way,” stressed Peter. “After the game, we’ll know where we stand. But we’re still confident enough to be able to say that we are travelling to Sand as clear favourites. We want to come away with all three points – I think that has to be our aim. Anything else would be a disappointment.”
Gold in Rio: "The Olympic Games were a magnificent event"
On the whole, Wolfsburg now have a good, if complicated, pre-season behind them. In Almuth Schult, Lena Goeßling, Babett Peter, Alex Popp, Anja Mittag, Isabel Kerchowski, Sweden’s Nilla Fischer and Frenchwoman Elise Bussaglia, eight key members of the team took part in the Olympic Games. But almost all of them will return with a great deal of confidence: the six representatives of the German national team ultimately came home with a gold medal, while Fischer claimed silver.
“For me personally, the Olympic Games were a magnificent event once again, even if I didn’t actually play that much,” said Babett Peter. “The atmosphere in the Olympic Village at the end was indescribable. I’m very proud to have been a part of this team. At the same time, it was also fascinating to be able to see more of the other sports going on around us.”
But by the time she had returned to Wolfsburg, the events of the previous few weeks became just happy memories. There are more than enough new demands placed upon her in the present, as well as the future. After all, these challenges come thick and fast. The second league fixture is a home encounter with Bayer Leverkusen, to be followed closely by the last two qualifying games for the 2017 European Championship in the Netherlands. After that comes the heavyweight showdown with FC Bayern München. The first few weeks could form the foundations of a successful season, and serious questions will be asked of the Wolves from the very beginning. How things will play out remains to be seen.
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The aim is clear. VfL Wolfsburg’s ladies want to deny FC Bayern München a third consecutive German championship at all costs. After two runners-up spots in the past two years, the Wolves now want to go one better at the top of the Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga. The changes in personnel made during the summer break indicate that the title race may once again come down to a tussle between these two clubs. Or could Turbine Potsdam or 1. FFC Frankfurt be in the mix again? Or maybe even another surprise package?
Whoever wins the title, they will have to hold off the challenge of Wolfsburg – that much is clear. Coach Ralf Kellermann was able to keep the core of his star-studded squad together, including German Footballer of the Year Alexandra Popp. He was even able to strengthen his front line, with Olympic champion Anja Mittag joining from Paris Saint-Germain to form what could be a lethal strike partnership with Alex Popp.
"We want to challenge for the German championship"
Another influential figure returning home as an Olympic champion is Babett Peter. The 28-year-old is going into her third season with the Lower Saxony club. Since she joined the Wolves, the defender has hardly missed a competitive fixture.
“I’m really happy in Wolfsburg,” she said. “I’ve felt very welcome, which obviously helps a lot out on the pitch.” And when asked about her targets for the new campaign, she is equally clear in her response. “We’ve come second twice in a row now. That was important because it meant we qualified for the Champions League, which has to be our aim again this season. But obviously we want to seriously challenge for the German championship once again.”
But to do that, Wolfsburg will have to bring more consistency to their game. There were a few avoidable defeats last season that helped FC Bayern regain their crown with a ten-point lead over their rivals. “I’m absolutely convinced that it won’t be so clear-cut this time,” said Peter. “We have learned our lessons from last season and have more stability now.”
Season opener: "We’re heading to Sand as clear favourites"
From their very first game, VfL’s ladies can start to put this theory into practice. Wolfsburg kick off the new campaign away at SC Sand on Sunday (11:00 CEST). These opponents will bring back fresh memories from last season. In their first meeting, the Wolves were defeated 1-0 in their own stadium. Kellermann’s side were then given a very tough test before winning 4-2 in the return fixture in Sand, just as they were in their 2-1 victory in the DFB Cup final only a few months ago.
“Sand is an extremely difficult opponent who will push us all the way,” stressed Peter. “After the game, we’ll know where we stand. But we’re still confident enough to be able to say that we are travelling to Sand as clear favourites. We want to come away with all three points – I think that has to be our aim. Anything else would be a disappointment.”
Gold in Rio: "The Olympic Games were a magnificent event"
On the whole, Wolfsburg now have a good, if complicated, pre-season behind them. In Almuth Schult, Lena Goeßling, Babett Peter, Alex Popp, Anja Mittag, Isabel Kerchowski, Sweden’s Nilla Fischer and Frenchwoman Elise Bussaglia, eight key members of the team took part in the Olympic Games. But almost all of them will return with a great deal of confidence: the six representatives of the German national team ultimately came home with a gold medal, while Fischer claimed silver.
“For me personally, the Olympic Games were a magnificent event once again, even if I didn’t actually play that much,” said Babett Peter. “The atmosphere in the Olympic Village at the end was indescribable. I’m very proud to have been a part of this team. At the same time, it was also fascinating to be able to see more of the other sports going on around us.”
But by the time she had returned to Wolfsburg, the events of the previous few weeks became just happy memories. There are more than enough new demands placed upon her in the present, as well as the future. After all, these challenges come thick and fast. The second league fixture is a home encounter with Bayer Leverkusen, to be followed closely by the last two qualifying games for the 2017 European Championship in the Netherlands. After that comes the heavyweight showdown with FC Bayern München. The first few weeks could form the foundations of a successful season, and serious questions will be asked of the Wolves from the very beginning. How things will play out remains to be seen.
