Bernd Schröder has warned of a possible standstill in women’s football because of the situation in the youth field.
The long-time coach of the Turbine Potsdam Bundesliga team said in an interview to the “Kicker”: “Our women’s football has developed significantly, but we have big declines in the youth generation. If we don’t reduce that, there will be no further development. I hope that this EM doesn’t blind our eyes.”
There is still a lot of room for improvement. Schröder was asked whether the Bundesliga was in danger of falling behind. “At the World Cup in 2011 we had the feeling that things are moving forward now,” stressed Schröder. “We had an outstanding stage, also in the media. But after that it went down again, while the other countries realized because of our success that they also have to do something.”
At the home World Cup, the DFB selection was eliminated eleven years ago in the quarter-finals against eventual world champions Japan. At the current European Championships in England, Schröder Germany is one of the top teams with France, England and Spain. The hosts advanced to the semi-finals on Wednesday night with a 2-1 win over Spain after extra time. The German team will play their quarter-finals this Thursday (9 p.m. / ARD and DAZN) against Austria.
Schröder turns 80 this Friday. In 1971 he became coach of the newly founded women’s team in Potsdam, which later celebrated national and international success under his direction. He only gave up the post again in 2016, with a minor interruption.