Football undergoes a change. Football (soccer) sees a transformation. - Popp urges advancement at VfL Wolfsburg
Team captain Alexandra Popp of VfL Wolfsburg believes that her club is up against a major challenge in the coming years. "We need to progress, for sure. On a national level, we are doing well, but if we compare ourselves to the top clubs internationally, then we have a lot more work to do," said the 33-year-old footballer in an interview with the "Wolfsburger Allgemeine" (Saturday). "It's important for Volkswagen and VfL to understand that what we have right now might not be enough in the future."
Last season, Wolfsburg won the DFB Cup, but they were once again overtaken by FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League as defending champions. Coach Tommy Stroot's team will lose key international players like Lena Oberdorf (to FC Bayern) and top scorer Ewa Pajor (likely to FC Barcelona) for the upcoming season.
"Of course I hope that we don't just want to be runners-up. But at the moment, I'm relatively calm because I don't see Bayern being so far ahead," said Popp. She had previously expressed her dislike for the phrase "changing of the guard" in relation to FC Bayern.
However, the 2026 Olympic champion voiced her criticism of the conditions for VfL players. "When I see how many people sometimes turn up to watch us train, it would be great if we had a place where we could train without being watched and have some privacy," she remarked. "When we're practicing formations at the end of training, anyone can come and film us at the moment - I don't think that's very professional."
In general, Popp feels that the team could benefit from having two pitches. "One where we can train regardless of the weather, and one that we don't have to share with other teams. And with a 27-player squad, we would really need a larger gym," explained Germany's 2023 Women's Player of the Year.
(Paywall link to Popp interview) VfL Wolfsburg women's team
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Source: www.stern.de