The German national women’s football team is preparing for the European Championships in Switzerland in Bavaria. In Herzogenaurach, the “First EM title since 2013” mission is to be finished.
There will be a lot going on in Herzogenaurach this weekend – it will be colorful and loud. But not because the DFB women are guests. The hometown of Lothar Matthäus invites you to the old town festival. Traditionally on the market square with a lot of brass music, in the castle courtyard it is a bit more modern. “Herzo”, as the locals lovingly call their city, “the colorful diversity that Herzogenaurach has to offer”.
“That definitely sounds tempting,” said national player Kathy Hendrich, who gained Oktoberfest experience at Bayern Munich during her time, on Friday (June 20, 2025). “But we are only here for five days. Our focus is on the pitch. And we will have to do without such festivals.”
At the start Confetti and a Birthday serenade
The team had come together in Herzogenaurach the day before. Wück and his staff had already arrived in Franconia at noon. Captain Giulia Gwinn and Co. had time until early evening to roam into the team quarters.
Sydney Lohmann received a special reception. The birthday child was welcomed by the DFB with confetti anenons. Her teammates serenaded her at dinner together.
I trust the team a lot. The last results also speak for us. And we can put a shovel on it.
Afterwards, the national coach already asked the players to the first team meeting and really heralded the last phase on the way to the European Championship in Switzerland (July 2 to 27).
In St. Gallen, Basel and Zurich, the DFB women meet Poland, Denmark and Sweden in the preliminary round. It will be serious from July 4th. Germany came to the final at the recent European Championship, but was briefly defeated by the holding of the replacement.
Berger is first represented by Borggräfe
On Friday morning, Wück asked his team for the first unit. “It was crisp,” reported Hendrich from training, which was only open for the media for the first 15 minutes. Wück in Herzogenaurach first has to do without goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who has to play a league game with her club Gotham at the weekend.
After a few days off, the 34-year-old has only joined her family for the second part of the training camp (from June 27).
In the first few days, Berger is represented by Freiburg’s keeper Rafaela Borggräfe. On June 21st and 23rd, Hanna Etzold from the 1st FC Nürnberg also joined a fourth goalkeeper to the team for special forms of play on the training ground.
Youngster Zicai: “I’m fully resilient again”
All of this is all for Cora Zicai. It will be the first big tournament for the still Freiburg woman who is moving to VfL Wolfsburg for the new season. In her previous three international operations under Wück, the offensive player, at the age of 20, made the youngest in the squad before Franziska Kett, with two goals.
“I am very grateful that I can be there,” said Zicai, who had to fear for her commitment for a long time due to an injury in the spring. At the first press conference in Herzogenaurach, she now gave the all -clear: “I am fully resilient again. And the anticipation is huge.”
“Age President” Hendrich: “assume 100 percent”
As long as Berger is not yet with the team, Hendrich has the unofficial title of the “Age President” with her 33 years. She has been at all big tournaments since 2016. “Crazy! It feels like I was still the youngest yesterday. And suddenly I’m the oldest. But I can’t change it,” said Hendrich, underlining her words again with a laugh.
The EM 2025 is not only under special signs because of its age. She also had injury problems this season. The time in Wolfsburg was “difficult”, after the tournament, she switched to the Chicago Stars in the USA.
She takes athletic that you may only have one place on the replacement bench in the competition with Janina Minge, Rebecca Knaak and Sophia Kleinhernen. “Whatever role I will play, I will accept it 100 percent. I expect that from everyone else,” emphasized Hendrich.
How far can Germany go at the European Championship?
For the final round, the team declared the title as a goal. The defender has a “good feeling”, even if she “cannot look into the future”: “The competition has also been in a good mood and has increased again in recent years. On the other hand, we have also developed further. I trust the team a lot. The last results also speak for us. And we can still put a step on it. But that will also be necessary.”
The mix between young and old players should be a key to success. “The elderly lay the basic building block. We boys can take so much from the experience,” said Zikai, who could ensure that there is a lot of music in Switzerland. Also without the brass brass from Herzogenaurach.