Bibiane Schulze Solano initiated the DFB women’s turnaround against Austria in the European Championship qualification. She will be in the starting line-up for the first time against Iceland on Tuesday (April 9th, 2024) – although she would actually have been a Spanish national team player for a long time.
In the DFB women’s 3-2 win against Austria, her dream of becoming a national player came true at the age of 25. Bibiane Schulze Solano came on as a substitute in the second half; she played a crucial role in ensuring that the German team was able to make a successful start to the European Championship qualification despite being behind. The reward: She gets to celebrate her starting eleven debut against Iceland.
Group 4 Arrow right Tuesday, from 6:10 p.m. live – DFB women against Iceland Arrow right
“She showed in the second half that she fits in,” said interim national coach Horst Hrubesch at the press conference on Monday. “With the quality she has, she’s on the right track,” said the 72-year-old, adding that he doesn’t have that many left-footed players in the central defense.
“It’s an honor to be able to play right from the start,” explained Schulze Solano, who also sat on the podium on Monday. She wants to play her game, play simple balls and stay calm, “that’s my job for tomorrow.”
Became a Spanish international in Bilbao – actually
Her debut was remarkable not only because of her strong performance – because it came much later than expected and, above all, for a different nation than planned.
Schulze Solano was born in Germany and got her start in professional football at 1. FFC Frankfurt. Then the daughter of a Baskin moved to Athletic Bilbao in Spain in 2019 and has been playing first-class there since 2022 (including a year at FC Valencia). And managed to earn a place in the Spanish national team.
Schulze Solano was called up to the squad by the current world champion twice in the past – but was never used. Injuries prevented the defender from making her international debut in the Spanish jersey. And that was exactly the opportunity for Germany. Horst Hrubesch nominated her for the first time at the start of the European Championship qualification, and with her first appearance in a competitive game she has now been confirmed. And so Schulze Solano becomes a DFB stroke of luck.
Schulze Solano: “A dream comes true”
“It’s a dream come true for me. If you had told me ten years ago that I would be nominated for the German national team, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said the 25-year-old before the games. Hrubesch assured that she had been “on the list for a long time” and described her as follows: “She has everything we need: she has a good height, good tackling skills, she plays physically and has a good passing game.”
And Schulze Solano immediately brought these qualities to her premiere. With her, the German game changed; after a weak first half, there was a significant increase in performance and a turnaround after a 1-2 half-time deficit.
“She’s calm on the ball, the balls arrive,” praised Hrubesch after the game. Her new teammates were also impressed. “She has Spanish football in her, you could see that quickly,” said fellow defender Kathrin Hendrich. “She is very loud, gives good commands. She is also confident on the ball.”
Hrubesch demands more for the Olympic mission
The 1.74 meter tall defender gives hope for the future, especially since the German defense has been a problem area in the team for some time. Because things aren’t just wrong there, Hrubsch announced after the Austria game that he would send clear words to his players. “You get it as it is. You also know that it wasn’t the best,” said the interim coach, who will be replaced by Christian Wück after the Olympic Games. “We know that it won’t be peace, joy, or pancakes. We’ll have to listen to something,” said Clara Bühl, who scored two goals.
For Hrubesch and the team, it’s not just about taking the first steps towards qualifying for next year’s European Championship tournament in Switzerland, but also about laying the foundation for a successful Olympic tournament in Paris. “We have to slowly get to the point where we are attuned to the Olympics,” said Hrubesch, who wants to say goodbye with a medal. And based on recent impressions, Schulze Solano could suddenly play a very important role.
