The warm reception by the numerous fans after the short summer break put a smile on the faces of the German women’s soccer team and strengthened their belief in a sustained boom.
“We didn’t have such a backdrop during training at the home World Cup in 2011. That shows the enthusiasm we sparked in Germany,” said captain Alexandra Popp after the public training session for the DFB selection in front of around 2,000 spectators in Frankfurt. “We hope that people will come to the Bundesliga stadiums in large numbers to help drive this wave of women’s football.”
Voss-Tecklenburg: “We take that as tailwind”
The unusually large training setting put the entire team back in high spirits ahead of the decisive World Cup qualifiers in Turkey on Saturday and in Bulgaria on Tuesday. “It’s really cool. Now there are more spectators at public training than at many Bundesliga games. It’s nice that the euphoria has continued after the European Championship. We’re enjoying it. It can go on like this,” said defensive player Sara Doorsoun.
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was also enthusiastic. “You can feel that it’s not just a summer fairy tale, but sustainable. People are still in this EM, although it’s over. That’s exactly what we wanted,” said the 54-year-old and added: “We take that as a tailwind. Arriving in Germany like that after a defeat in the final gives a good feeling.”
Voss-Tecklenburg has not yet fully processed the bitter 1:2 in the European Championship final against England (“It’s still rumbling a bit”), but he has long been looking ahead again. “First of all, we want to make the World Cup safe and then stay in people’s minds with attractive games,” she said, describing the goal. The fact that the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will take place next summer suits her very well. “It gives us the chance to stick to the issues that we started.”
Above all, this includes a stronger presence in everyday life. But the way there will be rocky. Despite the great enthusiasm for the European Championship, almost half of Germans still do not want to watch Bundesliga games of the women. This was stated by 49 percent of those surveyed in a representative survey by the opinion research institute Yougov on behalf of the German Press Agency. 24 percent were still undecided, only 15 percent want to take a closer look at the top German league in the future. Twelve percent did not provide any information.
National coach hopes for an increase in membership
Voss-Tecklenburg knows about the hurdles that still have to be overcome. However, she is not deterred by this. “Everyone is called upon to do something to ensure that we have good stadiums and a good atmosphere. It doesn’t happen by itself,” she appealed. “We have to create offers and not look for excuses why something doesn’t work.”
The national team should serve as a catalyst for the clubs. “The big message to all girls, but also boys, is that we can make our dreams come true. Do what you love and don’t let it get you down,” said the national coach. She hopes for an increase in membership and more acceptance of women’s football in the coaching sector. “That it’s not frowned upon to coach a girls’ team.”
The national players want to use their new popularity and lead as role models. “I’ve never been recognized as often as in the past few weeks. It doesn’t matter where you are, on the train, at the airport, in the city – you’re recognized,” reported midfielder Lina Magull. For Popp it is clear: “We have to continue like this in the sporting area and shouldn’t take it lightly.”
