VfL Wolfsburg lost a Champions League final – again, you could say. The chances of winning were greater than they had been for a long time. And the road to the title in the premier class will become even more rocky in the future. But there is reason for hope.
“Basically, reaching the final is a huge thing,” said VfL coach Tommy Stroot, who added with a view to the moment of the 2: 3 defeat against FC Barcelona: “I had to collect myself briefly and also the players give it a brief moment. It hurts extremely when you did a lot right and came close to creating a big sensation.”
The big sensation – the women of Wolfsburg could have been crowned European football queens for the third time. But the 2: 3 against Barcelona was already the fourth final defeat in a row after 2016, 2018 and 2020.
And despite this impressive series – even without a title – Stroot is under no illusions: “It won’t be any easier in the future if you know what’s happening internationally. We know how to assess that. But we’re close to these teams.”
Wolfsburg is (still) keeping up well with the Premier League
English football is getting better and better – but the greats of Chelsea and Arsenal have recently put the “wolves” in their place. In addition to subscription champion Lyon, against whom it had set the three previous bankruptcies in the final, at least Barcelona also seems to have rushed a bit. Because the truth is that the game was much more one-sided overall than the 2:3 would suggest.
The truth is: two chances, two goals
Although VfL had led 2-0 at the break, they only had two chances. With combined forces and thanks to the usury of chances by the Spaniards, there was zero at the back. Stroot stuck to his system at the break – and the defense broke: “Barca” equalized with two quick goals and then scored the deserved victory.
“It hurt brutally.”
— Alexandra Popp
“None of us expected the second half to go like this,” said Alexandra Popp, who scored to make it 2-0 just before the break. Ewa Pajor scored the early 1-0. Then it hurt “brutally”, added Popp.
Graduation party with friends and family
The losers of the premier class final were allowed to sleep in on Sunday. The big party with the Champions League trophy has failed. But at the end of the season, the players still got together with friends and families in a club in Eindhoven, the venue for the final.
At noon we flew back to Braunschweig-Wolfsburg Airport. At the city reception that followed, the women of Wolfsburg were honored primarily for their victory in the DFB Cup, but also for the two second places in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League. “It’s a great honor to be welcomed here, even if yesterday was still painful,” said left-back Felicitas Rauch. An entry in the city’s Golden Book was almost obligatory.
Popp also draws hope from the defeat in the final
Since another rival, the newly crowned German champions Bayern Munich, is currently on the offensive and the signing of the former Wolfsburg player Pernille Harder has made people sit up and take notice, one could get worried in Wolfsburg.
“It is a great appreciation to be welcomed here, even if yesterday still hurts.”
— Felicitas Rauch
But Popp sees the situation differently. The leader says: “We had a relatively big upheaval two years ago. There are a lot of players who don’t have that much international experience at club level. And if we’re already in the final with good football, that gives hope more in the years to come.”
This topic in the program:
NDR 2 Sports | 06/03/2023 | 11:02 p.m
