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Christian Wück has been coach of Germany’s women’s team since the start of August. At the end of 2024, the 51-year-old spoke to DFB.de about his first few months in charge, his goals and next year’s European Championship in Switzerland. Wück also talked about why key words such as belief and confidence are so important to him.

DFB.de: Mr Wück, before we speak about the future, let’s look back on the past year. Although you’ve only been in charge of the national team for a few months, it’s sure to have been something that’s occupied you throughout the whole of 2024. How do you think it’s gone so far?

Christian Wück: We knew that we wanted a fresh start. The fact that Alexandra Popp, Marina Hegering and Merle Frohms all retired after the Olympics meant it was also the right time for one. We wanted to create a positive atmosphere and mood surrounding the team and I think we’ve managed to do that. We’ve made a few changes to the squad and were able to hand a few debuts to players. As part of this, we’ve been able to ascertain that the players are open to change. Finding out that the team is ready for new ideas on the pitch was an important learning for me. Every coach has their own approach and style, and myself and my coaching team are no different. It was important to me that the team accepted our ideas and we could convince them that they are the right ones. The 4-3 win against England at Wembley in my first game in charge obviously helped a lot regarding this. The players were able to see right away that this can and will be successful.

DFB.de: Your record so far is two wins and two defeats. How would you describe your start?

Wück: Totally positive. We have been able to learn lots of things from every single game and that’s what this period has been all about. We wanted to try lots of things out, whether it was a change in tactic or a different player. We have identified several things in our analysis, things that we now want to work on. We wanted to see which players work well together and we’ve identified a number of interesting patterns in many different positions.

DFB.de: Would it be fair to say that with the end of the year, the first phase of getting to know your role as national coach has been completed? Is it now transitioning into the second phase of solidifying structures and processes?

Wück: Yes, I’d agree with that. It always takes a little bit of time until both sides trust one another, though it had to happen really quickly for us. I think the team see things as I do. I believe in the team and their individual quality. They now know what I expect from them and how I lead a team. I feel like we’re all heading in the right direction together.

DFB.de: So how do you lead a team?

Wück: Communication is extremely important to me, but it’s not just a one-way street. I don’t like it just coming from one person, I want to get the players and my coaching team involved in these conversations too. Aside from that, I’m a really honest guy, which sometimes isn’t always easy for people. There will be decisions made that players aren’t expecting or even that they struggle to accept. That’s just part of football though. One thing that I learned from my playing career was that honesty is always massively important. I always wanted to know where I stood. I wanted to know why the coach had chosen me over another player or vice versa. That’s how I’ve operated as a coach in youth football and now with the women’s side.

DFB.de: Is the third phase then preparing for UEFA Women's EURO 2025 in Switzerland?

Wück: The second and third phase will merge in to one another. Our aim is to provide the team with some stability and the best way of doing that is to get positive results. We need a core group within the team that will take on leadership roles. These players will lead the others and provide clarity and stability during matches.

DFB.de: You have been drawn in a group with Poland, Denmark and Sweden. What are your thoughts on these sides?

Wück: We cannot make the mistake of going into a game expecting to win it. Every team has enough quality to reach the knockouts. We have the potential to beat every side if we play well, but we can also struggle against supposedly weaker sides if we don’t. We have to put in good performances and show the quality we possess – if we do that, we can go far, perhaps even to the final.

DFB.de: 16 nations will be at the tournament. The top level of women’s football has become really competitive in recent years. What are your goals as you head to Switzerland?

Wück: Having already taken part in several European Championships and World Cups as a youth coach, I know how important it is to be well prepared ahead of these tournaments. In order to win this tournament, we have to have enough belief in the way we play football from the results we get. I don’t want to go into a tournament with the attitude of just seeing how far we can go. Over the coming six months, we have to make sure that everyone believes we can win it if we perform to our best. There is so much individual quality in every part of this team. How far we get in the tournament shouldn’t be dependent on our opponents. We shouldn’t be afraid of any team in the world. That’s not a cliché, I believe it.

DFB.de: So are things like confidence and belief decisive at this level?

Wück: Definitely. Particularly when all the teams are of a similar level. It’s important that you don’t just talk the talk, but that you also really believe and feel you can be successful.

DFB.de: Are you hoping that lots of Germany fans will be in attendance as it’s so close to home?

Wück: Yes, of course. We need support from our fans. We want to create a closer bond with the fans and further elevate the importance and relevance of women’s football. We’ll naturally be happy with as much support as possible in Switzerland.

DFB.de: Your team will be in Nations League action before EURO 2025. How important is this competition ahead of a major tournament in the summer?

Wück: The Nations League is important for us. We want to pick up the wins in this competition we need for our confidence and belief, as I said before. It’s therefore not a contradiction to say that the Nations League is important, but also as preparation for EURO 2025. We need to play well and gain confidence from wins. They are competitive games at the top level, which we’ll take extremely seriously. We also want to keep working on our style of play.

DFB.de: There has been somewhat of a rebuild over the past few weeks, particularly after Alexandra Popp’s retirement. Several youngsters have made their debut since you took over – will this keep happening?

Wück: There won’t be as many new faces now, but we’ll still try a few things out in the odd position, so one or two new players might still get called up. We’ve got a couple of players missing with long-term injuries – Lena Oberdorf and Bibiana Schulze Solano – who we’d love to have with us. The door is definitely not shut for anyone. Anybody that performs well in the Bundesliga has a chance of making it into our squad.

DFB.de: Giulia Gwinn took over the captain’s armband from Alexandra Popp. Is that a permanent decision or only a short-term one?

Wück: We want to settle on a captain and vice-captains for the Nations League. We’ll obviously speak to the team about it. Giulia did really well and showed that she can take on responsibility and lead a team. I will speak to her again and we’ll then announce our decision. The team will find out first.

DFB.de: This year has marked a new chapter in your life. You are head coach of a women’s team for the first time in your career. How have the first few weeks and months been for you personally? Are there any moments that have particularly stood out?

Wück: First and foremost, it’s still football. It doesn’t matter whether it’s youth football, men’s football or women’s football, it’s the same game. I don’t distinguish between them. We shouldn’t keep making the same mistake of trying to compare women’s and men’s football. I obviously thought about what it would be like when I first met the team or had my first team talk. Looking back, I received a warm and friendly welcome and that gave me a good feeling, so I’d like to thank everyone involved for that.

DFB.de: We’ve now come to the end of the year. Will you be able to switch off during the festive period? What are your wishes for 2025?

Wück: Yes, I’m looking forward to it. I’ll spend the festive period with my family. I’m away from home a lot, so I’m excited to be able to enjoy some time at home. I’ll definitely take the time to look back at this past year and then we can all start 2025 with recharged batteries. We’ve got big challenges coming up, but those present opportunities and chances.