Women

“Wolfsburg fans are really cool”

Dominique Janssen shares her thoughts in a final interview before bringing her five-year stint at VfL to an end.

Dominique Janssen won two German league titles and five DFB Cups over the past few years with VfL Wolfsburg Women. The recent game against SGS Essen was her last as a She-Wolf, with the Netherlands international set to continue her career outside of Germany from 2024/25 onwards.

In this interview, the 29-year-old, who arrived in Wolfsburg from Arsenal WFC in 2019, looks back on her time with the Green-and-Whites.

Dominique Janssen, your last game against Essen is now over a week ago, and you’re currently gearing up for some matches with your national team this week. What were your feelings like over the past few days?

Dominique: “It’s certainly been intense. I closed one chapter and immediately opened up another. I think that’s what makes football special. Life goes on and there are always new challenges up ahead. When I have time to digest everything on holiday I’m sure I’ll get emotional. Above all, though, I’m grateful for everything I achieved here and everything that happened.”

You were here for five years. To what extent would you say you developed?

Dominique: “Alongside Poppi and Sveni, I was one of the team captains over the last few years and that helped me develop personally. Sometimes you want to do so much for the team that you have to take care not to lose sight of yourself. In that sense, I’ve learned how to find the right balance. I’m extremely grateful and I think I’ve developed a great deal as a person too.”

When you look back on the last five years, do you have a favourite title triumph or a best experience?

Dominique: “That’s a difficult question to answer. For example, I found our cup win this season very special because on the one hand we didn’t concede a single goal, which is obviously amazing as a defender. And on the other hand, it wasn’t an easy season, which made it all the more special to conclude the campaign by winning a trophy in such an impressive manner.”

And now you’re starting a new chapter… 

Dominique: “Yes, I’ve realised that I’d like to spread my wings again and leave my comfort zone. I know that I still have potential to unlock, and in order to do so you need new surroundings from time to time.”

But your connection to Wolfsburg will no doubt remain…

Dominique: “Yes, I’ll come back to Wolfsburg whenever possible because my boyfriend and friends live here. I told the girls on the team that I’ll be back in Wolfsburg regularly and that we’ll hopefully see each other if time allows.”

Finally, is there anything you would like to say to the Wolfsburg fans? 

Dominique: “I think Wolfsburg fans are really cool, even compared to those of other teams. You could see that in our last game, which was sold out, and also in the number of supporters that travelled to our away games in Germany and abroad. I would like to say a huge thank you to our fans for that.”