DFB Cup Final | Werder Bremen coach Thomas Horsch: "FC Bayern has something to lose"

You were an amateur goalkeeper, but as a DFB base coordinator you came to football full-time – and gave up a secure job to do so.

Yes, as a father of two, it wasn't an easy decision back then to leave the civil service for a two-year contract with the German Football Association (DFB) . I initially only took an unpaid leave of absence. Many people dream of turning their hobby into a career. I've never regretted it.

While you were with the German Football Association (DFB), Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt asked you if you'd like to work as assistant coach for Werder's U23 team. Shortly thereafter, you were on the Bundesliga stage .

True, but after we avoided relegation against Heidenheim in the 2020 relegation playoffs, I was released again. Six months later, Werder Bremen's head of department, Birte Brüggemann, asked me if I could imagine saving Bremen's women's team from relegation. We've been writing this story since April 2021.

Did you do everything right by switching to the women's team?

I wouldn't call it that. For me, it's more of a full circle. As a base coordinator, I was also the association coach for the women's division. Starting in 2009, I was already working with current Bundesliga and national team players like Michelle Ulbrich, Nina Lührßen, Pia-Sophia Wolter, Reena Wichmann, and Giovanna Hoffmann. In that sense, as a coach of the Women's Bundesliga , I've gone back to the beginning.

What are the biggest differences?

It's a different clientele. I always say bluntly: The female players have a lot more of real-life experience. Because professionalism isn't that advanced yet, and the money isn't as high, the women have to prepare for their time after their careers. We have a very clever team with many students. They reflect on almost everything. And the players are very down-to-earth—as a coach, you get a lot back. More than with the men .

Is the atmosphere in the locker room less selfish or more honest?

What I miss most about women's football is that, for understandable reasons, I don't really get to experience what life is like in the dressing room, beyond the harassment. But things are definitely no different in the women's game: There are the same internal skirmishes, challenges, and problems.

What makes your team strong?

Ultimately, football is a combat sport with certain rules. Boys may bring a bit more of this competitive edge, which is why it's so helpful when girls play with them for a long time. I've tried to foster this mentality so that we can develop into an established Bundesliga team.

Your team, outnumbered, passed the test of character in the cup semi-final against HSV in the sold-out Volksparkstadion with flying colors.

It has to be said: The gap between the first and second Bundesliga remains very large for women. But without the appropriate attitude, we wouldn't have been able to do it against such a dramatic crowd. When Hamburg equalized, your eardrums almost burst. It was incredible what this game did to us.

What do you mean?

I was the picture of calm on the sidelines, but we were all agitated for days afterward. We played on Sunday and didn't have our first training session until Wednesday – I've never seen so many dead faces. Then you ask yourself: What does it do to you when you have this mental strain and media attention every three or four days? I can understand even more clearly how personalities in the men's Bundesliga change under this pressure. In comparison, the women's Bundesliga is truly very relaxed (laughs).

How are you approaching the cup final against Munich on Thursday?

Bayern have something to lose! They didn't win the championship for the third time for nothing. The team is brimming with international quality. It will depend on us seizing our opportunities.

Is German women's football on the right track with the third consecutive sold-out cup final?

Yes and no. Our own venue, a sold-out stadium—of course we're on the right track. But: I think the May 1st date is unfortunate from a sporting perspective. We're playing the final on Thursday, and the Bundesliga is back on the weekend. Fortunately, only one team is being relegated, so our game against 1. FC Köln is irrelevant. And Bayern are already champions. Otherwise, that would be a distortion of competition. I think a date after the Bundesliga season would be much better and more attractive.

Do you support expanding the league to 14 clubs for the new season?

Absolutely. Eleven competitive games in a half-season isn't enough. When we talk about professionalization, more playing opportunities are part of that. I would also like UEFA to do more. If fourth or fifth place led to a place in Europe, the league would be even more interesting.

There are big problems among the young generation .

Yes, the U19s didn't qualify for the European Championship, and the U17s aren't there for the second time. This trend must be countered. We have a quantity problem in the youth academy; if we don't keep up with it, we'll eventually run out of talent. There's no U19 women's team due to a lack of talent. A talented U17 player has to move straight into the reserve or first team. So, we're seeing unfinished personalities emerging who are expected to make their mark in the Bundesliga. This transition is difficult.

It's clear how passionate you are about women's football. Why are you retiring at the end of the season?

(laughs) I'm not going to stop working. You have to constantly question yourself as to whether you're satisfied or not. A football coach should never allow themselves to lose a single yard. For me, after four years, the right time has come to retire. I'm leaving my successor (Friederike Kromp, editor's note) an established Bundesliga club that's now in the cup final.

What will you do next? With Wolfsburg and Bayern, Germany's top teams in women's football need new coaches.

I listen to everything and assume that I will continue working in this field. It's incredibly fun to work with people. And I don't differentiate between Livia Peng and Jiri Pavlenka, between Larissa Mühlhaus and Claudio Pizarro. Being able to pass something on on the football field is still glorious for me.