Turbine Potsdam’s dismal season in the women’s soccer Bundesliga was sealed on Saturday, when the team lost 1–5 at home to Leverkusen. At the same time, it was confirmed that the team, which has been playing in the main league since 1994, will be relegated to the next season.
Turbine Potsdam is one of the most successful clubs in Germany on the women’s side, with six German championships and two wins in the Champions League and its predecessor.
The team has been seen over the years Nadine Kessler, Anja Mittagin, by Ada Hegerberg and Lia Wältin top names like Finns became familiar with the club in the 2006–2009 seasons, when Essi Sainio represented the club.
This season, however, the team has managed to collect only eight points from the 20 matches they have played.
Even last season, Potsdam was fourth, only three points away from the bronze medals. The body of the team was almost completely renewed at the start of the season, when more than ten players left the club – among them also those who scored more than 13 goals Selina Cerciwho moved to Cologne.
In recent years, the former big club has swam from one crisis to another.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, the crisis started already in 2021, when the club’s former player, who played almost 50 matches in the German national team Tabea Kemme applied for a club (you move to another service)in the presidential election and demanded a change. Among other things, Kemme wanted to improve communication and professionalize the club’s operating methods.
However, he narrowly lost to the one who led the club for a long time For Rolf Kutzmutz.
Last summer, the club’s head coach Sophia’s Chaded decided to fade away. Since then, the club has seen a total of five head coaches in a short time. Kutzmutz has also left his position, and the door has been closed in the board of directors as well.
At the same time, a discussion has started in Germany about whether a club focused solely on women’s football can be successful anymore. Of the women’s Bundesliga clubs, only SGS Essen and Turbine Potsdam focus on women’s football.
– When you look at how good the team was 10–15 years ago, they had a huge lead over other teams, both in terms of conditions and tactics. Now others have come alongside and over, former player Anja Mittag regretted In an interview with Deutsche Welle. (you switch to another service)
In the case of Potsdam, there has been talk, for example, of cooperation with Hertha Berlin, but nothing concrete has come of it.
Milla Punsari’s Meppen is fighting against relegation
This season, the women’s Bundesliga has also seen Finnish colors for a long time, as Honga’s captain for years Milla Punsar joined SV Meppen in January.
Meppen moved up to the league for this season with the aim of maintaining the league position. The season has been challenging, and the team is currently second to last.
Two teams will be relegated from the Women’s Bundesliga at the end of the season, and instead of a safe tenth, there is only a point. Just on Sunday, Meppen will face Köln, who is tenth in the series, in the “six-point match”.
– Cologne hasn’t had an easy spring either. Exciting feelings, surely a tough fight is coming, Punsar commented to Urheilu.
Meppen is a small village of about 35,000 inhabitants, located right on the Dutch border. Punsar, 26, has had a great time in his new hometown.
– People have been nice, we have a good team and I like team work. The Bundesliga suits me well because the game is quite physical. I run a lot and tackle a lot, I like to do both. Compared to the national league, the game is quite straightforward.
Adapting to Germany has been facilitated by a similar culture to Finland, although Germans are more pedantic than Finns. Instead, the local sauna customs have also surprised me.
– They have an hourglass in the sauna, which they turn upside down when they enter the sauna, so they know that they have definitely been in the sauna for fifteen minutes. Apparently it’s the right time, Punsar laughs.
– Women and men go naked to the same sauna. You must have your own towel for your feet, your feet must not touch the planks in the sauna or there will be noise. And of course no slurs are thrown!
Punsari’s contract is valid until next spring, but it has the possibility of termination in the summer. The Finnish player has not yet made a decision on the continuation, because a lot depends on whether the team stays in the Bundesliga.
Meppen has three more matches to play.
– Yes, we have to win today. This week we have prepared physically a little lighter, there have been a lot of mental exercises. We have a lot of potential, but to make the most of it, now we have to dig it all out.
will show the football National League match KuPS–HJK on Sunday 21.5. from 14:00. The women’s Champions League final between Germany’s Wolfsburg and Spain’s Barcelona can be watched on ‘s channels on Saturday, June 3, starting at 4:50 p.m.