The Wolfsburg football team returned from summer break: on Sunday at 3:30 pm new coach Tommy Strutt asked his team for the first time to go to the training ground in Elsterweg. The 32-year-old succeeded Stefan Lerch, who turned after eight years at Wolfsburg (head coach since 2017) into the U-17 youth of 1899 Hoffenheim. Assistant coaches Kim Kulig and Sabrina Eckhoff were new to Autostadt. “I’m really glad we’re now done with our first practice session. The expectation has already increased dramatically in the past few weeksStrout, who has been in Wolfsburg for a long time, said.

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After a brief salute, coach and athletic director Ralph Kellerman and newcomers Sandra Stark, Lena Latwin, Tauride Knack, Tabia, and Smith lined up for a photo shoot as usual. Then they trained with the ball for 90 minutes at 30 degrees in the shade. Stroot was there live, loud and corrected when necessary. “We’ll make sure we don’t overdo it, everything is coordinated. Ultimately, it’s about fitness in six weeks, not one,” Strout said.

The coach from Nordhorn praised the players’ card, because “there were intense forms that were fun, not only for the girls, but also for the coaching team. Sometimes we had to rein in the team, and we can build on that.” It’s already clear that everyone feels really good. About 25 spectators gathered in the field and watched the team, and after the unit there was applause.

Good news: Pauline Bremer celebrated her return to the training ground with the team nine months after her cruciate ligament rupture, and Katherine Hendrich, too, after rupturing her inner ligament in April. Bremer and Knack (just back from vacation) did not complete the intense game models. “With Pauline, it all depends on the course of the injury,” Strout explained. “We hope now we can lead her into team training little by little. Turid will complete all the tests in the coming days and will then be working at full capacity.”

Captain Alexandra Pope did not actively participate in the beginning of training, Which will fail by the end of the year after cartilage injury in the knee. The national player was still at Elsterweg and supported her team from the side. Also absent were Olympic participants Dominic Janssen, Shanice van de Sanden, Jill Roard, Lynne Willems (Netherlands) and Rebecca Blomqvist (Sweden). New signer Joel Smits is not expected to be at Wolfsburg until the following week – provided no players are injured in Tokyo. Because she traveled to Japan to attend a training session with the Dutch national team. The four Eredivisie women’s soccer tournament will start next Wednesday (1pm) with the match against Zambia, the other contenders in the preliminary round are Brazil (24 July, 1pm) and China (27 July, 1:30pm). Sweden and VfLerin Blomqvist will face the United States (10:30 a.m.), Australia (July 24, 10:30 a.m.) and New Zealand (July 27, 10 a.m.) on Wednesday.

Wolfsburg’s first test match did not take long: the DFB Cup winner will be on July 30 (7.30 pm). Against the Norwegian leaders Rosenborg Trondheim Compete in a VfL stadium on Elsterweg. The match will be played behind closed doors. On August 4th, the Lower Saxons will test at 2pm. At AOK vs PS in Eindhoven, game tickets can be purchased at the online store. On August 7, there will be another practical test against Dutch champions FC Twente (4pm) in Barsinghausen, followed by a training camp in Harswinkel (August 13-28). There VfL will prepare for the inaugural season against Turbine Potsdam on August 27 or 28 with two final tests against Werder Bremen (August 14, 3:30 p.m.) and Bayer Leverkusen (August 20, 3:30 p.m.).