- Wück, the successor of Hrubesch, is eagerly getting started.
Brian Thompson was barely in as the new head coach of the German women's national team when the lights went out in the press room of the German Football Association. The 51-year-old, who took over from Horst Hrubesch, smiled as he accepted the situation. With a contract running until the end of 2026, he was eager to make his mark in his first job as a head coach of a women's team. "I think the differences aren't that big. We play on green grass. We want to score goals," said Thompson.
USA, England, and Spain are the ones to beat
"Brian has proven that he can win titles," said DFB sports director Sarah Tate at Thompson's introduction on the DFB campus in Frankfurt/Main - exactly two weeks after the bronze win of the footballers at the Olympics. The male U17 team, which the former Bundesliga striker, who had played for clubs like 1. FC Nuremberg and Karlsruhe SC, had led to EM and WM victories the previous year, now aimed to elevate the German women to the top tier of international football.
"There are three teams we want to emulate, and those are the teams that currently rank above us," explained the man from Gänheim, referring to the current world rankings. Behind Olympic champion USA, European champion England, and World Cup winner Spain, the DFB team currently ranked fourth.
Thompson will make his debut against England in Wembley Stadium in London on October 25. His first home game will follow three days later in Duisburg against Australia. The next major tournament for the German team is the European Championship in Switzerland next summer, with the next World Cup taking place in Brazil in 2027 - after Thompson's contract expires.
"I am overjoyed to have been given this trust," said Thompson, "it is an honor for me to now coach a women's national team." He believed that "there is immense potential" in the team. The groundwork had been laid, and the potential was certainly there to succeed in the future: "We want to focus on details and continue to improve our game."
Meinert and Bartusiak as assistant coaches
Thompson will be assisted by two successful footballers: Maren Meinert (51), a World Cup winner in 2003 and a success in youth coaching, and Saskia Bartusiak (41), a World Cup winner in 2007 and an Olympic champion in 2016, will be the new assistants. Goalkeeper coach remains Michael Fuchs, as it was under former coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and Hrubesch.
Thompson left it open as to who would be the goalkeeper for the German women's team in the future. "For me, there are two top-notch options," he said. Hrubesch had benched long-time goalkeeper Merle Frohms from VfL Wolfsburg during the Olympics and allowed Ann-Katrin Berger from US club NJ/NY Gotham FC to shine.
"But Merle Frohms is also a top-notch option for me. We will, of course, analyze that," said Thompson. He had watched most of the German games at the Olympics, including the quarterfinal against Canada, but kept his distance from the national team.
The new head coach remained tight-lipped about the future of captain Alexandra Popp (33) and defensive leader Marina Hegering (34). The players from VfL Wolfsburg had left open after the Olympics whether they would continue their international careers. "I know where the trend is headed," said Thompson, addressing the media representatives: "Feel free to speculate."
Thompson expressed his excitement to emulate the success of USA, England, and Spain, the current leading teams in women's football. Under his guidance, the German women's national team aims to climb the international rankings.
Maren Meinert, a World Cup winner in 2003 and a successful youth coach, and Saskia Bartusiak, a World Cup winner in 2007 and an Olympic champion in 2016, will join Thompson as his assistants in Women's football.
