VfL Women captain Alexandra Popp sat down at the team’s training camp in Portugal to talk about lessons from the last six months, much-needed breaks and her expectations for the second half of the campaign.
Alexandra Popp, it’s been an up-and-down few months for you and the team. Would you say that things are heading in the right direction on the pitch now?
Alexandra Popp: “Yes, I think you certainly noticed that in the final games of last year. It obviously really hurts that we went out of the Champions League, but I also have to say that the normal training weeks we had as a result did us a lot of good. We were able to catch our breath as players and have a bit more of a break. At the same time, we’ve also been able to work more acutely on team tactics, and I think that’s been evident in the last few games. We had more stability and certainty again.”
In your view, what target do you need to reach for this season to still be a good one?
Alexandra: “If we win at least one trophy, then for me that’s still a good season. Obviously I’d prefer two, though.”
What needs to happen in football terms for that to work out?
Alexandra: “First of all, our defensive solidity needs to come into play more. We showed flashes of it again at the end of last year, when there was little coming at our goal and we were keeping clean sheets. That solidity has always been a feature of ours. We need to build on that, become even more solid and impose our game more on our opponents again in attack. We need to be a bit clearer in our play and show the quality we have.”
It’s the first time you’ve been here in Almancil for the training camp with VfL. How are you finding it?
Alexandra: “I think it’s great because we’ve gone up another level in terms of the infrastructure and the professionalisation. That’s not to say we had bad conditions previously, absolutely not. But it’s certainly a different level at the hotel and the Campus. And the fact that we bumped into the men here on the first evening and were able to exchange a few words was also good for the club and for us.”
You personally have withdrawn a bit from the public eye recently. Why is that?
Alexandra: “I just wanted to deliver my performance on the pitch again. I felt like, whatever the topic was, my face was always there. Eventually I could no longer hear or see myself, which in my view impacted my performances on the pitch to some extent. That’s why I resolved to concentrate on football until the end of 2023. I noticed that I became more balanced as a result and was able to produce better performances again.
