Lower Saxony instead of abroad: Germany’s greatest talent goes to Wolfsburg

Lower Saxony instead of abroad
Germany’s greatest talent goes to Wolfsburg

2/14/2022, 3:18 p.m

Jule Brand still lives with her parents, but that will be over by summer at the latest. Then the 19-year-old switched from TSG Hoffenheim to VfL Wolfsburg. The striker is considered the greatest offensive talent in German football.

If Jule Brand were such a talent among men – some would go crazy in the football circus. National team debut at 18, first goal after just two minutes of play. Four goals and six assists in ten internationals. Sweeps through opposing defenses in a 4-1 win against Arsenal in the Champions League. And national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg gets carried away with sentences like: “Jule sometimes doesn’t even know what she can do. She still has so much up her sleeve.” Now VfL Wolfsburg has snapped up the coveted 19-year-old winger from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for the new season.

Before Jule Brand at the EM preparation tournament Arnold Clark Cup in England, for the German national team on Thursday (3.30 p.m./ARD live stream) against Spain with world footballer Alexia Putellas is in focus, this news made the rounds in women’s football on Monday: Wolfsburg is buying Jule Brand out of her contract, which runs until June 30, 2023, which according to VfL information includes an exit clause. “Jule is not only one of the biggest and most sought-after talents in Germany, but also internationally,” says Ralf Kellermann, Wolfsburg’s sporting director.

When Jule Brand was asked at the end of her elementary school days what she wanted to be, she answered boldly: “National football player.” In 2021, the national coach called for the first time. Jule Brand didn’t answer right away – because she just had the toothbrush in her mouth and because her pulse went up: “I was really shaking.”

Many dreams already fulfilled

Today, the 1.77 meter tall attacker moves casually through the training center in St. Leon-Rot in northern Baden. Photo shoots are also nothing new for the top talent. High school graduate Jule Brand is now a professional: “At the moment I only have football.” Your training workload is similar to that of the men in the Bundesliga. Nevertheless, she will probably start her studies in the next winter semester.

Until then, Jule Brand and her DFB team-mates have a lot to do: The Arnold Clark Cup continues on Sunday against Olympic champions Canada and on February 23 against England. The games are considered an important pointer for the European Championship in July – the national team has not had a tournament since the World Cup quarter-finals in 2019.

“A lot has happened in the last year. I fulfilled a lot of dreams: making my debut in the national team, playing in the Champions League,” says Jule Brand. Of course she wants to be at the European Championships: “When we are there, we also have the goal of becoming European champions.”

Moving out of your home is imminent

By then at the latest, even more eyes will be on the attacker with the strong left foot. “I hope that Jule can keep her carefree attitude. She is very inquisitive and never satisfied, has a football field mentality,” says Voss-Tecklenburg. Jule Brand is regarded as an instinctive footballer, has speed from a standing start, and takes the right paths unusually often. Tactic training is not her thing, she explains bluntly. “Of course, that’s also very important. But just play – that’s great in football.”

Hoffenheim has already produced quite a few international players. Now head of sport Ralf Zwanziger and coach Gabor Gallai have to let their team’s jewel go. “What’s important is that she’s still very young, she still has to develop her personality,” says Gallai. “You have to carefully introduce them to this business of football, which can also be very stressful because there’s always a challenge.”

Jule Brand would like to “play abroad. Time will tell exactly when that will be. But of course, I’m very interested in that,” she said last week. Now it’s Lower Saxony. “Ultimately, the overall package at VfL Wolfsburg, which has been playing for titles in both Germany and Europe for many years, absolutely convinced me. I think this change is the optimal step for my further development,” she said via VfL .

Another project is finally pending in the summer: Jule Brand still lives with her parents in Dudenhofen near Speyer. There she also started playing with her brother Felix, who is now a third-division professional at FSV Zwickau. “I definitely want my own apartment after the season,” she said before her announced move.