Women

Back Under Way at Elsterweg

Preparations for the 2026/27 season officially got under way with the first training session.

The summer break is over: On Friday morning, VfL Wolfsburg Women officially began preparations for the 2026/27 campaign with their first training session. The She-Wolves had already reported back on Tuesday for the customary performance tests and medical examinations before head coach Stephan Lerch took his squad onto the training pitch at Elsterweg for the first time under glorious sunshine, laying the foundations for the weeks ahead during a 90-minute session.

New Signings Take to the Pitch for the First Time

Just under two months after their last competitive match, the She-Wolves stepped out onto the training pitch at Elsterweg at around 11am. New signings Lieske Carleer, Ylvi Eisenbeiß and Cecilie Floe Nielsen were all involved for the first time, joining their new team-mates on the grass. Theresa Panfil also marked a first, taking to the training pitch at Elsterweg for the first time in her new role as assistant coach. The coaching staff were without Weronika Arasniewicz for the opening session, with the forward due to join the squad in the middle of next week following her participation at the UEFA Women’s Under-19 European Championship in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kessya Bussy, Lena Lattwein and Katharina Piljic also missed the session through injury. Guro Bergsvand, Janou Levels and Luca Papp were likewise absent from the pitch. New signing Giovanna Hoffmann was not involved in team training either but completed an individual session as she continues her recovery from injury.

An Intense Start

The She-Wolves wasted little time getting on the ball after the opening drills. A variety of small-sided games and exercises ensured the tempo was high from the outset, with intense challenges and plenty of communication defining the first session before it concluded with a training match.

“You Could Feel the Energy Right from the Start”

“Right from the start, I could feel the energy and intensity within the team. The communication on the pitch was already very good too, which I really liked. Over the next few days, it’s about introducing the players to our basic ideas – what we stand for and how we want to play football. We want to continue being proactive, playing with high intensity and taking the initiative in matches. At the same time, we have to remain flexible,” said head coach Lerch. “With the changes to the squad, our game will evolve in certain areas, so we want to spread responsibility across more players and become more tactically versatile. Naturally, we’ll also take on board the lessons from last season. Now it’s about integrating the new players quickly, developing a shared understanding and continuing to build our football-specific fitness. We want to lay those foundations over the coming weeks.”

Nine Days Until the First Friendly

The She-Wolves still have a little time before their first real test. Six more training sessions are scheduled over the coming days before their first pre-season friendly on Sunday, 19 July. VfL will face second-division side SV Meppen in Herzlake, playing their first 90 minutes of preparation for the new season. Kick-off is at 2pm.