DIn the past few weeks, when the end of FFC Frankfurt as a pure women’s football club came closer, Siegfried Dietrich has never made any secret of what it is like to be his “life’s work”. The 22-year era, which was characterized by great success in the first years and a cultural change within the club in the past decade, came to an end with the unfortunate defeat at home (0-2) against SC Freiburg. A result that does not necessarily reflect the course of the game, but has shown the need for a merger with Eintracht Frankfurt.
As much potential and wit as the team repeatedly proves: there was a lack of maturity and playful class to meet your own aspiration to play internationally again in the medium term.
That the FFC women sometimes appear convincing and “hectic”, as coach Niko Arnautis put it, was not a new finding in the stadium at the Brentano bath. However, the last official game as a pure women’s football club was primarily in the light of a final appreciation of the past: promotion to the top of the world, professionalization of women’s football, Champions League title and significantly higher social visibility – the merits and successes of the FFC should be one last time Efforts and celebrations are made in a nostalgic manner, even if the “big party” targeted could not take place in the form that the long-time companion would have liked because of the Corona crisis.
What was left was a large poster on the empty fan stand, on which head coaches and team captains were honored, and the presence of some of the protagonists of that unprecedented climb from the unknown SG Praunheim to the four-time European Cup winner: starting with the former coach Monika Staab, via Dietrich to this day he is happy to have “opened the door to women’s football”, to formative players such as Nia Künzer or Kerstin Garefrekes, as if the concentrated FFC history would finally bow to the club, which marks a milestone for them and their sport in terms of sport has given general acceptance.
That was another reason why Dietrich made it clear before the game that the result on that day was secondary. He felt “the greatest possible gratitude for what we were able to achieve in women’s football”. Wistfulness is therefore not the dominant feeling, says Dietrich: “Even if our first name changes: the FFC will live on in harmony.”
Wolfsburg undefeated, Cologne relegated
And at some point it should be able to stand up to VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich again, who, like in previous years, made up the first and second places among themselves: FC Bayern will also accompany champions VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League in the coming season. On the last day of the women’s Bundesliga, the Munich team had a clear 3-0 (1-0) win on Sunday at SGS Essen, securing second place. TSG Hoffenheim, which competed with Bayern for the second Champions League spot, lost 1-2 at Turbine Potsdam (1-1).
Title holder Wolfsburg remained unbeaten in the last game of the season and finished Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 (3-0). VfL ended the year with only two draws with an impressive goal difference of 93: 8. The second relegated team after the FF UPS Jena is 1. FC Köln. The women from the cathedral won 1-0 (0-0) against SC Sand. But since the MSV Duisburg in Jena was also 2: 0 (2: 0) successful, Cologne relegated due to the worse goal difference. The name FF USV Jena will also disappear from July 1st. The Thuringian women, who remained without a win this season, are part of FC Carl Zeiss Jena.
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