On Wednesday, the women of VfL Wolfsburg enter the group stage of the reformed Champions League. Alexandra Popp has to watch out injured. She talks to kicker about opponents Chelsea and the possibilities of the “new Queen’s Class”.
Mrs Popp, where are you tonight at 9pm?
The injured players and those who are not in the squad want to watch the away game against Chelsea together. Most likely at Sara Doorsoun’s. Home games, on the other hand, I won’t let them take me away from the stadium.
You have been missing since April with a cartilage injury to your right knee. How is the rehab going?
Our plan is for me to be back in full fitness after the winter break. So far, we’re also on schedule as far as that’s concerned. I even got the go-ahead on Monday to start loose running this week. We have to see how the knee behaves when the next step comes now. And then I hope that in January, when the second half of the season starts, I can be fully back on the pitch.
So participation in the European Championship in England in July 2022 still seems realistic?
Absolutely. That’s definitely my goal, to be there on the pitch.
Let’s take a quick look back at Wolfsburg’s Champions League qualifying second leg against Girondins Bordeaux, which was only decided on penalties. What thoughts were running through your head in the last few minutes?
That was very nerve-wracking. For me, it’s a disaster to sit on the couch, just watching and not being able to help the team. When we conceded a goal late on (in the 119th minute, editor’s note) I thought: Wow. But when the penalty shootout started, I was very, very sure that we would win the game. I had full confidence in Almuth (goalkeeper Schult, editor’s note) because I knew how she was in goal in the penalty shootout.
Her optimism was justified, Schult did not catch a single goal. As a result, VfL just barely averted elimination before the group stage. Now their best striker at the moment, Ewa Pajor, has also suffered a serious knee injury. Is Wolfsburg still one of the top teams in Europe?
It’s going to be incredibly difficult, a very tough job. With the upheaval, the loss of experienced players and injuries like to Ewa and me. We haven’t yet brought stability and consistency to the pitch. And we didn’t exactly get the easiest group. But I am optimistic that the team will get its act together. They have the quality to compete with the top favourites. It just has to click.
“First would be even better, but I’ll take second as well. “
ALEXANDRA POPP
They will face Chelsea, Juventus Turin as well as FC Chenois Servette. In her kicker column, ex-national player Verena Schweers bets on second place behind Chelsea.
That’s what I would say. First would be even better, but I’ll take second as well.
But then you play against a group winner in the quarter-finals.
Yes, I know that. But then we’re through for now.
Chelsea with Ann-Katrin Berger, Melanie Leupolz and Pernille Harder knocked out Wolfsburg and then Bayern last season. Why are they beatable this time?
I have to admit that I haven’t watched a Chelsea game yet this season. However, they have never changed much in terms of play. That’s why I assume that they still play like last year – and that’s where I definitely see the weak point in the defence. Despite having top players like Millie Bright and Magdalena Eriksson, they still have a few lapses every now and then.
So you have to pay special attention to the offense.
Yes, Chelsea are extremely efficient. You saw that in the games last season – against us as well as against FC Bayern. Both German teams were superior in terms of play, but didn’t score the goals. We have to be incredibly good defensively, they can’t even get going. Especially Samantha Kerr and Francesca Kirby up front, who are always looking for ways behind the chain.
Pajor has scored four goals in the league so far, no other Wolfsburg player more than one. Who should step into the breach now?
Basically, a few players can do that. Joelle Smits played her first competitive match at the weekend. You can see that it’s not quite right yet. Unfortunately, we don’t have that much time left to give her. Despite all that, I still have a good feeling when she’s in front. And there’s another one I could imagine in the forward line.
Who?
Tabea Waßmuth. She has a similar style of play to Ewa Pajor, is quick on her feet and has good running.
Although you might not be involved in team training yet: Can you already assess what your new coach Tommy Stroot places particular emphasis on – especially in comparison to predecessor Stephan Lerch?
Generally, Tommy has a different communicative style. Tommy communicates even more than Stephan already did with us. If something is disturbing or too much is “broken” in the current upheaval, he takes us experienced players on board. His coaching style is rather calm, but he gets to the heart of things and wants to play offensive football – which we very much welcome.
Popp as link between team and coach
In what way will you be involved, even if you can’t play on the pitch at the moment?
I was very involved at the beginning of the preparation period, as a link between the team and the coach. I was given some freedom during the sessions, I was on the pitch as a fourth coach, so to speak, and I was allowed to coach. Currently, I’m not there as often, but I’m available for decisions and questions.
What do you think of the new format with group stage in the Champions League?
I think it’s very interesting. It’s amazing to see who has already met in the first rounds. Teams like Bordeaux, who play good ball, or even Manchester City didn’t make it to the group stage. That’s tough for those who have always been there in the last few years. But I think it’s cool that clubs from other countries have the opportunity to show themselves internationally and gain experience there. That’s how the smaller ones grow.
It also gives them four more games on the calendar.
Of course, it’s a challenge. But we are very happy to accept it.
Is the reform mature or would you still make adjustments?
You have to go through it all now and let it sink in a bit to see where there might still be one or two snags. Of course, there are teams you would have liked to have in the Champions League because they play good football. ManCity, for example. But you have to give the smaller teams a chance. And if you don’t qualify, it’s your own fault. We almost didn’t make it either.
Would you see it the same way if you had been eliminated in the qualifiers?
Yes. We didn’t show the best football against Bordeaux. From that point of view, we should have looked at ourselves.
DAZN broadcasts all matches live on its platform as well as for free on its Youtube channel. kicker columnist Verena Schweers calls this a big step for women’s football. Are you just as optimistic?
It is definitely a next good step, an absolute added value that we are being shown at international level. Before, that was never the case. DAZN is also putting it on well. They don’t just show the games, they promote them as well.
Don’t you have to wait for the measurable interest of the viewers first?
I think many will tune in. You don’t just see the German teams, but all the top teams throughout Europe.
UEFA quadruples the payouts to the clubs to 24 million euros. Enough or still too little?
If you take into account that we have more teams and more games, it’s probably relatively little. But you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
In the men’s game, there is well over a billion euros in Champions League prize money.
There’s definitely more going on with us. First of all, we are happy and grateful. The fact that people even think of investing more money in the women’s competition is already a positive sign.
“For us to talk about a complete professionalisation in women’s football, you need players who don’t work eight hours on the side. “
ALEXANDRA POPP
In other sports, such as tennis, there are discussions about whether both sexes should be paid the same as a matter of principle.
We wouldn’t say no if someone said: You now get as much as the men. For us to talk about a complete professionalisation in women’s football, you need players who don’t work eight hours on the side. But for that, we don’t necessarily have to reach the same spheres as the men when it comes to money.
“The time has come when it should be a matter of course for every men’s Bundesliga club to maintain a women’s team in the top division,” Bayern President Herbert Hainer said recently. Do you agree?
If we want to get into the professional circuit, we have no other choice.
This means that Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04, for example, have been asleep for a long time.
Yes. That’s how you can put it.
And teams like SC Sand or SGS Essen would have no chance of staying in the Bundesliga in the long term.
That’s what it would mean, yes. I’d be happy if teams like that made it, of course. But if we want to move in the direction of really professional football, at a certain point there is no other option than to “merge” with men. Because that requires money, which is incredibly difficult for small clubs to generate. It’s easier with a professional men’s team.
Do the clubs in general need to do more to generate attention for women’s football?
Both clubs and associations need to cooperate more or better. The fact that there is a task force for women’s football is good for a start. At last the DFB and the clubs are working together. In the past, they often passed the buck to each other: The other has to do more, they said. Maybe we players also need to be given more support, for example in our dealings with sponsors.
Provocatively asked: Isn’t the Women’s Bundesliga pretty boring? Bayern are currently on 21:0 goals, Wolfsburg were on 9:0 before the weekend. In contrast, five teams still have zero wins and all have a very negative goal difference.
You can look at it that way. But that brings us back to professionalism. At VfL and Bayern, we are all professionals and can concentrate 100 per cent on football. The teams at the bottom sometimes don’t know where to train during the week because they have three different training grounds. The players there still work eight hours before training. They simply can’t give 100 per cent in training. You can see this difference in performance in the game. But that doesn’t mean that these supposedly small opponents can’t hurt us.
As could be seen at the weekend, in the 2:2 against Freiburg.
Eben (laughs).
The defending CL champions FC Barcelona won everything last season, 155:11 was the goal difference at the end. Do you see a danger that in future the focus will be on the upgraded Champions League and the national leagues will lose relevance? The good opponents are only waiting during the week.
I don’t think so. I don’t know the structures in Spain and England in detail. But you have to improve them step by step.
Do Hoffenheim, Frankfurt, maybe Potsdam have the quality to challenge Wolfsburg and Bayern over an entire season?
I think Hoffenheim have it in them. I’m still unsure about Frankfurt in terms of consistency. When it comes to opponents who can really annoy you, I’d put them first. But there could still be a bit more to come.
And Potsdam?
I don’t see Potsdam in that role anymore.
In conclusion: Who will win the Champions League?
I hope: us. Otherwise, I don’t want to comment on that (laughs).