After signing a one-year contract extension with VfL Wolfsburg Women last week, 33-year-old defender Marina Hegering sat down with us to talk about her decision to commit her future to the club, her plans after hanging up her boots and the final straight of the 2023/24 campaign.
Marina Hegering, you extended your contract with VfL Wolfsburg a few days ago. How much are you looking forward to enjoying another season on the pitch?
Marina Hegering: “It’s nice to know that things will continue as they are. It would have been strange to say that this particular chapter is now closed. I still have a follow-up deal, but I wasn’t really done playing football yet.”
You haven’t had a bad season on a personal level, have you?
Marina: “Exactly. The calf injury is obviously very frustrating, but other than that it’s been a very good season for me personally, which made me want to continue playing. I still enjoy playing football and being on the training pitch.”
Can you envisage becoming a coach after hanging up your boots?
Marina: “Yes. It remains to be seen how that will unfold in concrete terms, but Ralf Kellermann and I have several ideas in mind. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I’ll see how this season pans out, first of all.”
You weren’t on the pitch for the recent 9-0 victory over Essen but were watching from the stands. How important was that win after a difficult few weeks?
Marina: “After defeats like the ones we’ve had, it’s always good to get a win. We obviously made a statement by scoring nine goals. I think it was very important that we went into the international break on the back of a win like that. We now know we need to focus on what we can still win – and that’s the DFB Cup. We’ll try and go all out in that one, but we also know the cup final’s going to be a different game.”
You mentioned the final – you’ll be up against Bayern again. How do you assess your opponents?
Marina: “I think we have a score to settle with them. Given the character of our team, I think it’ll be a very tough game for FC Bayern. It’s a cup final, a game in which you can win a trophy. It’s a very important game in that regard. I’m feeling good about it.”
You’re away to Freiburg on Saturday. What are your objectives for the rest of the season?
Marina: “We need to keep taking every game very, very seriously. Under the circumstances, it would be irresponsible to say the league doesn’t matter. That isn’t the case. Furthermore, every game is preparation for the DFB Cup final, and that’s how we need to approach those games. We need to stay focused and always give 100 per cent in order to keep improving.”
