- Unexpectedly halts the shots by Frohms' goalkeeper
Two weeks into his tenure as the new coach for the German women's football team, Christian Wüek encountered his first hitch. National keeper Merle Frohms announced her unexpected retirement from the national team at 29, following 52 international matches. "Physically and mentally draining" were the major tournaments she mentioned, which she played for VfL Wolfsburg.
This decision, which she had been contemplating for some time, could not be reversed by Wüek - to his dismay. "I would've loved to work with Merle," he said. He had made his intentions clear to Frohms, who would have played a significant role in their plans, in a personal conversation. However, Frohms will now witness Wüek's debut against England on October 25th at Wembley, from the comfort of her couch.
Frohms: "Not a breeze"
"Since the World Cup last year, the decision to retire from the national team after the Olympics in Paris was a tough one for me," Frohms confided. She made her debut for the national team on October 6, 2018, in a 3-1 win against Austria in Essen.
Her crowning achievement came in 2022, as vice-European champion in England, as the starting keeper at the EM. She was also present in all the games during Germany's disappointing early exit from the 2023 World Cup in Australia.
"Representing my country as the number one in two major tournaments was an honor for me," Frohms summed up. In the future, she plans to dedicate herself entirely to VfL Wolfsburg, the vice-champion and cup-winner. She is also looking forward to having more time for her family and friends, after enduring intense years with the sporting double burden.
A fresh opportunity under Wüek
Frohms' retirement decision was reportedly unrelated to Germany's disappointing performance at the Olympics. Surprisingly, her predecessor Horst Hrubesch opted for 33-year-old Ann-Katrin Berger over Frohms as the keeper.
Berger put in a commendable performance in the tournament and helped Germany secure the bronze medal with her penalty save in the third-place game. She was also named Footballer of the Year shortly after.
With Wüek, a reshuffle was expected in the keeper department. "For me, there are two number one keepers," the former Bundesliga professional declared just over two weeks ago. That Berger had no special privilege in this respect was "crystal clear and unambiguous," he emphasized. "This was a decision by Horst Hrubesch."
Berger, along with two promising younger keepers, Stina Johannes (24) from Eintracht Frankfurt and Maria Luisa Grohs (23) from champion FC Bayern Munich, are now under Wüek's spotlight. While Johannes debuted for the DFB team in the EM qualifier against Poland with a 3-1 win in early June, Grohs is yet to make her national team debut.
Wüek expressed his regret about Frohms' retirement, stating, "I would've loved to work with Merle." Despite his intentions, the retirement decision was irreversible, which means Frohms won't be competing against England at Wembley on October 25th, but she will still be watching the match from her couch.
