Women’s DFB Cup: Essen coach Markus Högner: “The only club without debt”

Your SGS Essen lost the DFB Cup semi-final at VfL Wolfsburg 9-0. In their tenth final in a row, the Lower Saxony team will now face FC Bayern in Cologne on May 9th, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties on Easter Sunday. What were the reasons for this lesson?

Of course we expected more because we were very euphoric after the performances against top teams in the last few weeks of the Bundesliga. We have always been characterized by defensive stability, but this time it was completely the opposite. After the early double blow we were dismayed. It must also be said that Wolfsburg had an excellent day, especially thanks to Svenja Huth, who kept pushing. Lena Oberdorf won every duel – and so Wolfsburg completely outclassed us. We simply had too many failures; Unfortunately also from players who were very consistent all season.

What follows from this?

I first gave the team three days over Easter so that we could put this bitter defeat behind us and present the last five match days completely differently. I’m now expecting a sign from the team against Nuremberg in two weeks so that we can end up in the upper midfield at the end of the season. And on the last matchday in Wolfsburg we have another opportunity to present ourselves in a completely different way.

Basically, SGS Essen is the only women’s football club that has been competitive for years and is currently sixth in the league.

A year or two ago, the national players in particular had to make political statements that the future lies in the licensed clubs. I then replied to Alexandra Popp after it gave the impression that we were training on clay with only ten balls. Just because we don’t start training until 5 p.m. doesn’t mean the work is any worse. I can’t tell some players to give up school or studies so we can train in the morning. Nevertheless, we work in a highly professional manner and employ Erskine Bakker, an excellent athletic trainer who many national players still visit today.

So the location in Essen-Schönebeck also has a lot to offer?

We have a functional building that we don’t have to share with a U17, U19 or U23. As a young soccer player, it is also important to overcome obstacles. I think it’s important that not everything is licked and laid out. The players have to make some advance payments to us so that it pays off for them financially to play in the Bundesliga.

The last economic report from the women’s Bundesliga found that an average of two million euros in revenue was no longer enough to pay salaries. Almost half of a budget of around 3.8 million euros is not covered. What do you think?

We are actually the only club that is not in the red – and we are proud of that. We don’t have any debts. We will only pay the players what we earn. Everyone knows that women’s football is cross-financed by professional clubs, but in my opinion the development is heading in an unhealthy direction. Actually, as a sensible person, I can only spend what I earn.

The DFB has presented a professionalization and growth plan in which there is talk of a minimum basic salary of 2,920 euros per month. What do you think?

I don’t think so at all. I can’t pay a 16 or 17 year old this money without completely messing up my salary structure. That’s exactly what’s happening in women’s football: Because huge amounts of money are being paid in England, one or two German clubs are joining in. In my opinion, some players are overpaid as a result – with all the love.

You were once the national coach of the German national beach soccer team and assistant coach of the DFB women under Steffi Jones. What do you say to that Christian Wück Horst Hrubesch will be the new national coach in the summer?

I like that. He won the European Championships and World Cup with the U17s and has a top coach in Maren Meinert, who has also won titles. I like this combination. I think we have really good female footballers in Germany. I saw the decider in Heerenveen against the Netherlands: Horst Hrubesch exudes calm and is the right man in the right place. I think the successor solution with Christian Wück is good for developing something long-term after a change; He has proven that he can do that in the youth sector. We will continue to have a strong national team for the next three or four years.