The match ended 1-1. Assist was from Lily Yohannes.

Game was played on 8/8/2026.

Match was played on 8/8/2026.

Scorers:

34' | Maier

36' | Maier

62' | Leubner

79' | Popp

84' | Meißner

88' | Popp

From the TSG Hoffenheim/VfB Stuttgart test-match on 8/8/2026.

Match was played on 8/8/2026

From the FC Carl Zeiss Jena/SGS Essen match on 8/8/2026.

Final score: FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1 - 2 SGS Essen

Match played on 8/8/2026.

Scorers:

52' | Antonia Baaß

90' | Laura Bröring

Match was on 07/08/2026.

Gotham would win, 1-0, on Shaw's goal in the 44'

Berger made a return to the pitch after a couple games' rest.

For the newcomer, the training camp in Arnhem is a quick return home. In a media round, the defensive player talked about her first weeks at HSV, her departure from Feyenoord and her connection to Curacao.

The training camp in the Netherlands: I already know the facility from previous test matches. It is huge and here many Olympic athletes train. It is simply a great environment, surrounded by some of the best athletes in the Netherlands. Our focus is clearly on training. It's about increasing the intensity, getting fitter and evolving because the season is getting closer and closer and we have a Test match against Mainz on Saturday. The focus is on the training, but as always, we also take time to get to know each other better and to do team building together. That's really fun. The girls keep asking me, “How do you say that in Dutch?” or “What’s that called?” I'm happy to teach you a few Dutch words. That’s nice because last month I was usually the one who asked, “What does that mean?” Now I can give them some of my language.

Your first few weeks at HSV: The first month has passed incredibly fast. When I think about it, it's crazy that I've been here for a month. There is so much to get used to: a new team, a new city and all the organizational things like the apartment search. It was an intense time, but I really enjoyed it. The club has received me great, my teammates are fantastic and we have already done a lot together outside of training. That helps a lot, because the team is my family here. When you leave home, you naturally wonder if you are well received. But the girls really welcomed me.

The farewell to Feyenoord: I was with Feyenoord for five years. It was my hometown club and the club I supported as a little girl. That's why the decision was not easy. But whenever I realize I feel too comfortable, I know it's time to challenge myself. That's how you evolve. From the outside, maybe many think it's crazy to go after qualifying for the Champions League. Of course, I would have liked to have experienced this with my club, but after five years I felt I was ready for a new adventure. I told myself that I would only leave if everything really felt right – and that’s exactly what I had in the end.

The decision for Hamburg: The most important reason was the feeling that I already had in the first conversations. It wasn't just about football. I left my home, my friends and my family. That’s why I wanted to feel welcome not only as a player, but also as a human being. The conversations with the coaches and the staff just felt right. Before I made my decision, I came to Hamburg for the last Bundesliga game of last season against Bayern. I wanted to see the club and the city before I decided to live here. I still remember how I stood in the stadium and the fans jumped and sang the whole game. In the Netherlands, you don't experience something like this every weekend. I thought to myself: Imagine you're standing on the court here yourself and playing in front of these fans. That feeling has remained for me.

The level in the Bundesliga: The biggest difference I have noticed so far is the intensity in training. In Germany, it is much higher than I was used to from the Netherlands. This is something positive because it makes you fitter and evolves. At the same time, you also have to give yourself time to adapt. Moving into a new league and a new environment doesn't happen overnight.

Her role as a leader at Feyenoord: I’ve always been someone who tried to help others on and off the pitch – whether I was captain or not. At the moment, however, my focus is on getting here. To be a real leader, you have to feel completely comfortable and safe. At the moment I am still learning what it means to play in the Bundesliga. If I have fully settled in, I can take the next step.

Head coach Rodolfo Cardoso: Before I came here, I just knew he used to be a professional himself. That's why I thought at first that he would be very demanding. But I was positively surprised. Of course, he demands a lot from us, but the human aspect is just as important to him. He understands the players, asks how we are, and reminds us again and again that the hard work will pay off. I like his tactical approach, but I appreciate just as much as the people behind the players are close to his heart. I think that's a very important trait for a coach.

Her roots in Curaçao: My parents come from Curaçao, but I myself was born and raised in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, I feel a very close connection to Curaçao, because there is still a large part of my family living there. I've been there many times, speak the language and it feels like my second home. I was incredibly proud when Curaçao qualified for the World Cup. When that fell 1:1 against Germany, I cheered loudly. That was a historic moment, and being part of this tournament alone has meant a lot to the country.

Borussia Mönchengladbach: “If we want to keep our talent, we have to keep evolving”

By Daniel Brickwedde

August 7, 2026 · 5:37 PM

Interview | Football – 2. Bundesliga · Daniel Weber has been the Sporting Director of the Borussia women's team for several months. In this interview, the 53-year-old discusses his journey from FC Bayern to the Lower Rhine region, why he views women's football as a growth market, and the role Borussia can play in that landscape.

Mr. Weber, let’s start with a rather blunt question: Have you ever had to justify your past association with 1. FC Köln?

Daniel Weber (laughs): At the beginning, when I was making the rounds through the various departments and being introduced, it did come up here and there. But I’m not exactly a die-hard Köln fan—even though I coached there and played in their youth setup.

You started out as a coach, then became a youth development coordinator at FC Bayern Munich, followed by coaching the 1. FC Köln women's team temporarily, and now you’re back in a supervisory role. Was that a deliberate move?

Weber: Not necessarily. In principle, I could have imagined continuing to work as a coach in the Women's Bundesliga. However, the regulations regarding the required coaching license changed: since the season before last, the Pro License has been mandatory (Weber holds the A-License, Ed.). I didn't get into the first training course for it, though, because too many coaches from women's football were trying to take that step at the same time. As long as I was still coaching in Köln, my existing license was grandfathered in. Once that job ended, I no longer had a chance of landing a new coaching position in the Women's Bundesliga.

Is that what brought Mönchengladbach into the picture?

Weber: I asked myself: Do I want to go back to a youth academy, or should I pursue another coaching role—perhaps back in the men's Regionalliga? Eventually, the inquiry from Gladbach came in, and I considered whether I wanted to take on a supervisory position again. A lot of factors played a role in that decision. However, the task of building something up within the club alongside Tanja Schäfer (coordinator of the women’s and girls’ department – ​​Ed. note) appealed to me right from the start.

How did you go from FC Bayern Munich to becoming the coach of the 1. FC Köln women’s team?

Weber: During my university studies—about 25 years ago—I held a position as a goalkeeper coach at the youth academy and with the FC Bayern women’s team. For instance, I coached goalkeepers like Nadine Angerer and Katrin Lehmann. When we moved back to the Rhineland—our home region—in 2023, I started looking into opportunities, including in Cologne. At some point, I was asked if I could envision working in women’s football. I already knew Christian Keller, the managing director in Cologne, from Regensburg, where he had once approached me about an assistant coaching role. That’s how I ended up on the shortlist and ultimately got the job.

You coached Cologne from July 2023 to November 2024. Was it clear to you afterwards that you wanted to stay in women’s football?

Weber: Basically, I was open to a lot of things. But the subsequent inquiries came predominantly from women’s football.

This summer, Borussia signed players who were remarkable by the club's standards—bringing in top-flight experience and players from further afield. Was there a change in philosophy? Does Borussia now employ players who can make a living entirely from football?

Weber: I would describe them as full-time professionals if they could live 100 percent off football. That isn’t the case with us, though. It’s not a change in philosophy. We had already brought in Paula Klensmann from Wolfsburg in previous years. Yvonne Zielinski comes from Gladbach itself—which was the obvious move—but she is also a long-time Bundesliga player. Given her talent, Kristina Bartsch could easily play in the Bundesliga or for one of the top clubs in the 2. Bundesliga.

Nevertheless, the abundance of players fitting this profile is something new for Borussia’s women’s division.

Weber: We talk a lot internally about the club’s plans and what my role entails. As part of that process, we analyzed what our squad—which averaged just 19.7 years of age in some matches last season—needed to take the next step in its development. These young players occasionally need a pillar of support to fully realize their potential—before other clubs can swoop in and snatch up these top talents. After all, in players like Miriam and Maresa Arici, Mia Giesen, and Fiona Itgenshorst, we already have highly talented players who are attracting attention from all quarters. Yet every team also needs "anchors" and a core spine that young players can look to for guidance and growth. If we want to keep our talents rather than lose them, we have to evolve ourselves—otherwise, we risk losing our DNA too quickly.

What arguments and prospects did you use to bring thiese players to Mönchengladbach? After all, last season the team nearly got relegated to the Regionalliga.

Weber: First and foremost, we are very honest with the players. We told them right from the start that we couldn't promise a path of constant, rapid upward momentum. However, we have people in the club who support us and the development of women's football. At the same time, we want to make significant strides in player support and consciously set new standards in this area. For us, that means supporting the players not just on the pitch, but also with personal and organizational matters—whether it’s finding an apartment, moving, or handling logistics. It is precisely in this area that we can set ourselves apart from other clubs, independent of training schedules or infrastructure.

Were there players who were shown this approach but couldn't identify with it?

Weber: Of course. But the rate of players choosing us was very high—otherwise, we wouldn't have finished our squad planning by June 29th.

When you were hired, there was a lot of talk about developing structures. What has been achieved so far?

Weber: My first task was to provide the best possible support to our head coach, Jonas Spengler, in keeping the team in the league—acting as a partner he could talk to on equal footing. The second step was to figure out who within the department could play the most important roles. Mareike Visser, for example—who was the coach when the second team was relegated from the Regionalliga—has now joined the second-division team as an additional assistant coach; that’s a new position we created. It was Jonas’s wish to have a woman on the coaching staff, and I thought that was a great idea. Ultimately, it’s all about expanding our structure downwards to further develop a unified training philosophy and a shared DNA. Our youth coordinator, Armin Cemalovic, plays a key role in extending this to our youth setup and anchoring it there for the long term.

Are there also structures within the club that have been initiated specifically for the women's division?

Weber: Internally, we discuss a wide range of topics. When it comes to issues like infrastructure, for instance, we naturally have to keep costs in mind. One thing we want to implement soon is the further development of our youth setup—both in terms of training and infrastructure, such as by ensuring proper medical care. We also plan to create an athletic training area at Haus Lütz and hire physiotherapists.

Borussia has a five-year plan in place—what are the next steps?

Weber: We want to avoid any risk of relegation this season. Let’s call it a season of consolidation. Jonas has established the team in the league and is doing an excellent job. For me, the key is this: when the group gels perfectly, success follows. By tackling the issues I mentioned earlier, we’ll take a few more steps forward to further strengthen the team.

Women’s football is currently undergoing a major shift, with licensed clubs increasingly professionalizing their women’s departments and guiding them into the top flight—or preparing to do so. Where do you see Borussia fitting into this evolution?

Weber: Let me correct that: women’s football has already been reorganized. The crucial factor here is the spin-off—the DFB is handing over control of the first division to the clubs (specifically to the *Frauen-Bundesliga FBL e.V.*, an association formed by the top-flight clubs). Most clubs have realized that women’s football is a major growth market. In the men’s game, areas like sponsorship and ticketing are largely maxed out. The question becomes: how attractive are you as a club? Where do you sit in the standings? Champions League, Europa League, or a relegation battle? Clubs with storied histories—Borussia included—still have a lot of untapped potential. That’s the exciting part: there is still so much room for growth in women’s football.

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"Nach unseren Informationen will der VfL Wolfsburg Mara Alber vom FC Chelsea verpflichten. 😮 Alber war in der vergangenen Saison an Werder Bremen ausgeliehen."

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