National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has named 23 players in her squad ahead of the upcoming qualifiers for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 in England. Felicitas Rauch (VfL Wolfsburg), Lena Lattwein (TSG Hoffenheim) and Lisa Schmitz (HSC Montpellier) all make their return to the German national women’s team for the forthcoming games against Montenegro in Kassel on Saturday 31th August (12:30 CEST) and for the trip to Lviv to face Ukraine on Tuesday 3rd September (16:00 CEST). Marina Hegering (SGS Essen) and Almuth Schult (VfL Wolfsburg) miss out due to injury.
As they embark on their first campaign since the World Cup in France, attention will initially be focused on reviewing the tournament. National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg explains: “We will review our analysis of the World Cup with the players, and explain to them how we intend to progress over the next two years. Then we will focus all of our efforts on preparing for both of our Euro 2021 qualifiers. We want to qualify comfortably.”
“We are in a stage of development”
Voss-Tecklenburg continued: “We are currently in a stage of development and we want to continue working hard. As well as our European qualifiers, we have organised a number of matches against top-class opposition, starting with our game against England in November, for example.”
As well as Montenegro and Ukraine, Germany’s women’s team will face both the Republic of Ireland and Greece in group I of the European qualifiers. All nine group winners will qualify directly for the competition, as well as the three best runner-ups. The remaining second-place finishers will enter a play-off competition to determine who will occupy the final three of the sixteen available qualifying positions. England will host the competition.
Germany’s squad:
Goalkeepers: Merle Frohms (SC Freiburg), Laura Benkarth (Bayern Munich), Lisa Schmitz (HSC Montpellier)
Defenders: Carolin Simon, Kathrin Hendrich, Giulia Gwinn, Verena Schweers (all Bayern Munich), Leonie Maier (Arsenal), Lena Sophie Oberdorf (SGS Essen), Johanna Elsig (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), Sara Doorsoun (VfL Wolfsburg)
Midfielders/Attackers: Felicitas Rauch, Svenja Huth, Alexandra Popp (all VfL Wolfsburg), Lea Schüller, Turid Knaak (both SGS Essen), Lena Lattwein (TSG Hoffenheim), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Olympique Lyon), Sara Däbritz (Paris Saint-Germain), Linda Dallmann, Melanie Leupolz, Lina Magull (all Bayern Munich), Klara Bühl (SC Freiburg)
On standby: Pauline Bremer (Manchester City), Anna Gasper (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), Laura Freigang, Sophia Kleinherne (both 1. FFC Frankfurt), Maximiliane Rall (TSG Hoffenheim), Carina Schlüter (Bayern Munich), Sandra Starke (SC Freiburg)