VfL Bochum has introduced a new sporting director for its women’s department. She is a former international player.

VfL Bochum continues to drive forward the development of its women’s department. With Annike Krahn, the club introduced a new sporting director on Thursday evening.

With the 38-year-old, VfL has gained a sports science graduate who played at the highest level during her playing days. Krahn played 137 international matches for the German national team. She won the World Cup in 2007 and was also part of the teams that won the European Championship in 2009 and 2013 and Olympic gold in 2016. With FCR Duisburg, the former defender triumphed twice in the DFB Cup and once in the predecessor competition to the Champions League.

“Annike Krahn has experienced a great deal in her career and has played women’s soccer at the top level for many years, as well as acquiring coaching licenses and studying sports management at Ruhr University and UEFA,” said Bochum’s sports managing director Patrick Fabian in a club statement.

Krahn is “an absolute expert from whom we hope to gain valuable input in order to establish women’s and girls’ soccer successfully and sustainably in the long term. The fact that she was immediately enthusiastic about our project as a native of Bochum and an avowed VfL fan completes the picture. “

The new sporting director is currently still working for the DFB as team manager of the U17 team. Depending on her performance in the European Championship qualifiers, she will continue in this role until May. Krahn is already gaining an initial overview at VfL.

“For me as a Bochum native, it is of course a special situation. Being able to work in my home town, the place where my soccer career began and where I successfully completed my studies, feels like coming full circle,” says Krahn about her role at VfL.

VfL women on course for promotion to the second division

For some time now, Bochum has been intensifying its efforts with regard to the women’s section. Two senior and four youth teams are currently playing. The first team plays as the flagship in the Regionalliga West and leads it by a large margin – this year, the aim is to finally achieve promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga.

Krahn: “At VfL, you can feel the will to further develop women’s and girls’ soccer, as all the talks have shown. It’s a big challenge, but we are ready to tackle the issue innovatively and professionally. I will support this commitment with all my strength and passion, contribute my ideas and experience so that we can create structures to achieve sustainable success. “