“I want to free women’s football in Switzerland from being a wallflower,” says Lara Dickenmann, the model woman among Swiss footballers. At VfL Wolfsburg, she ended her outstanding career at the end of the season (see box). But for a few weeks now, the 135 international has been working on the side to prepare for the new season of the GC women. With a three-year general manager contract under his belt.
The ambitious project starts rolling at the beginning of March. GC wants to attack with the GC women. The GC women are independent of the men’s professional football and the Chinese owners and belong to the football section of the Grasshopper Club.
“This is a unique opportunity”
Did it take Lara Dickenmann a long time to say yes to the desk job at GC? Dickenmann on Blick: “When a delegation from GC came to Wolfsburg especially for me, I really enjoyed listening to the project. I started the conversation without any great expectations. But afterwards I knew straight away: This is a unique opportunity. I want to be part of it and contribute to its success. “
Dickenmann has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ohio State University (she kicked four years in the US from 2004) and a master’s degree as general manager in the backpack. «Of course, I have mainly been a professional footballer for the last few years. This gives me a very large network. But I am well supported in this project. I certainly still have a lot to learn in practice. ” Your most important employee is sports director Johannes Moos. Together with him, she forms the new management team for the GC women.
Dickenmann’s goals? «We want to build a project that is sustainable. We want to do good youth work in women’s football. We want to get more Meitli excited about football. GC should be a stepping stone into bigger leagues for the players. ” Dickenmann as a boost (new German for buoyancy) for the entire Swiss league? «The GC project automatically brings everything to life. The competition then thinks about: What do we do now? So there will definitely be some improvements in the league. “
Dad and ex-FCZ kicker Urs Dickenmann is happy
Since Dickenmann’s wife Anna Blässer is under contract with VfL Wolfsburg until 2022, the GC boss will initially be living in the north German car city. “I will definitely be in Switzerland twice a month. And it is planned that we will move to Switzerland in a year. “
By the way: What did Lara Dickenmann’s dad Urs (64), a professional at FC Zurich in the late 1970s, say about the fact that his daughter is hired by arch rivals? «He was very happy that I will be closer to home again. My father is also an affinity for GC. At the end of the 1990s he took me and my brother up to the Hardturm on many Saturdays. I grew up as a GC fan. GC was the ultimate at that time. “
The Grasshopper Club should be like that again. With women for the first time.
Lara Dickenmann was born on November 27, 1985 as the daughter of the former FC Zurich player Urs Dickenmann (64) in Zurich and grew up in Kriens LU. She started playing football at the age of 6 – chatting with her younger brother every free minute and playing with the boys from SC Kriens. Her first successes are from 2002 three championship titles in a row with the DFC Sursee. With Olympique Lyon she has won the championship seven times and has also won the Champions League title twice. Most recently she won four titles in a row with VfL Wolfsburg (maybe five soon) and celebrated five cup wins. In the national team she will step down in 2019 – with 135 international matches and 53 goals, which means both records.