“We want to challenge for titles”

She-Wolves boss Tommy Stroot reflects on the 2022/23 campaign and reveals what sets his team apart.

The Champions League final marked the end of a rollercoaster campaign for VfL Women. Several days have passed since the 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in Eindhoven and although the disappointment still lingers, there is an increasing sense of pride at having participated in what Tommy Stroot describes as a “great final”.
For the VfL head coach, preparations for the new campaign started long before the summer break. Here, Stroot looks ahead to next season and shares his thoughts on the growing competition in women’s football.

“Our ambition carried us”

“We were competing for all three titles until the very end – that’s very, very special,” Stroot says, reflecting on a positive 2022/23 season. VfL Women declared their lofty ambitions as early as last summer – a move Stroot feels was the correct one: “There aren’t many sports teams who do that. I think it’s good we made that decision. Those ambitions carried us to victory in the DFB Cup, to the Champions League final and to second place in the league.”

Humility key to success

The fact that VfL ‘only’ got their hands on one trophy is by no means a failure, in Stroot’s eyes. On the contrary, it has become increasingly clear that competition at the very top of the global and European game is growing ever more fierce. “Challenging for titles is not a matter of course,” Stroot explains. “Reaching the Champions League final was very special.”
That humility has been key to VfL’s success – and something the club will continue to strive for next season. “We remain ambitious and want to continue to challenge for domestic honours,” adds the VfL boss.

Seven new arrivals

To that end, VfL have already signed seven new players for the coming campaign, with Chantal Hagel, Anneke Borbe, Lisa Schmitz, Vivien Endemann, Riola Xhemaili, Camilla Küver and Fenna Kalma joining the She-Wolves. “Once again, we have an incredibly exciting squad at our disposal,” says Stroot, who will welcome his players back to training on 20 July. “That’s why I’m really looking forward to the new season.”

I noticed that mentality straight away in my first season in Wolfsburg – I think it’s very special. It is passed down from one generation of players to the next.

Tommy Stroot

Huge team spirit

One thing Stroot can definitely count on in the new campaign is the remarkable team spirit that has set his squad apart for some time. “I noticed that mentality straight away in my first season in Wolfsburg – I think it’s very special,” says the head coach, who is keen to maintain and preserve that sense of togetherness going forward. The coaching staff are not the only ones who deserve credit, though: “Above all, that mentality is down to the characters we have in our squad. It is passed down from one generation of players to the next.”