Robert de Pauw has been the women’s coach since 2022teams from Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The season is off to a very difficult start for him and his team.
The Dutchman Robert de Pauw had a dream early on: “To train a top team abroad at some point”. And he started early: at the age of 13, he was allowed to take the six to seven year old boys Nijmegen train.
From the young offspringteams At SCE Nijmegen we went to the professional club NEC Nijmegenwhere he has several U-teams trained. In May 2017 he took over a women’s position for the first timeteam and became head coach of the Dutch first division club Achilles ’29. “From the budget We were the worst team in the league. But we were always able to sell ourselves well on the pitch and keep up with the big boys.”
In 2022 he became champion and cup winner with the women of Twente Entschede. And when the offer came from Germany, his dream came true. He has been the coach of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga since 2022.
Recognize the story behind the players
Next to his job as a trainer de Pauw Studied social work. During his first coaching positions, he also worked in this area and advised families in difficult situations. These experiences now help him as a coachjob. “He has a good perception of people, is communicative and approaches tasks in a solution-oriented manner”, says Leverkusen attacker Kristin Kögel, for example. The 23-year-old is also studying social work.
De Pauw himself describes his work like this: “There is a story behind every player. As a coach, you have to know and accept this story without judging it.“To do this, he uses personality questionnaires and has detailed discussions with his players before every season. He says he is pragmatic and strategic de Pauw, “but above all human”.
Prominent additions make the league stronger
On Sunday, Leverkusen starts the new season against runner-up and record cup winner Vfl Wolfsburg. Robert de Pauw is realistic. “One point is great, three is outstanding. And we can take a lot from zero points.” He sees Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt as favorites for the championship this season. “But promoted Leipzig can also be dangerous.”
National player Svenja Huth from VfL Wolfsburg in a duel against Kristin Kögel and Elisa Senß from Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga game in March 2023.
De Pauw says the women’s Bundesliga is more exciting than ever. Not many women’s leagues would have something similar level. “It is characterized by variability, tactics and philosophy.” This also attracts foreign stars to Germany: Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson (both from FC Chelsea to Bayern Munich), Nuria Rabano (from FC Barcelona to Eintracht Frankfurt) and Fenna Kalma (from Twente Enschede to VfL Wolfsburg), the league has significantly improved in quality.
Big gaps in the league
Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier for Leverkusen. Bayer 04 finished last season in fifth place as the best team in North Rhine-Westphalia. A result with which too de Pauw was satisfied. However, there is a large gap between fourth and fifth place, which separates Leverkusen from the very top. A total of 18 points separated Leverkusen and fourth-placed Hoffenheim. That’s the name of the goal de Pauw: “In the best case scenario, the distance should of course become smaller. But it won’t be easy.”
And this despite the fact that the structures in Leverkusen are also becoming more professional. “Of course there are still some in the teamwho work or study on the side. But everything has gotten much better. The fact that the physiotherapists can now look after us all day makes a big difference. And that shows on the pitch.”says Kristin, who sent Bayer 04 into the next round in the DFB Cup last week with a brace and an assist.
We are looking forward to the duel with 1. FC Köln on matchday 5 de Pauw By the way, special: Friday evening, floodlights, derby atmosphere. The time has come in just under a month. By then, a trend may already be visible as to where the journey will take place for Bayer Leverkusen and Robert de Pauw could go this season.