“With fans, something special can happen” – Ball talk with Popp and Kobel | OneFootball

The loud reception Alexandra Popp received on the specially built stage by the lake already made it clear just how important women’s football has become to BVB fans. Despite all the experience she has gained at top-flight clubs in Duisburg and Wolfsburg, the season opener a week ago at Stadion Rote Erde left a strong impression on the new captain: “More than 4,500 spectators against Bielefeld. That’s not even something you see every day in the Women’s Bundesliga. Awesome that this is already the case for BVB in the Regionalliga. It really makes you want more.”

The huge excitement surrounding this transfer coup is also evident in shirt sales. Even though Popp has only been at BVB for a few weeks, the jersey with her name is already among the club’s ten best-selling shirts. “I didn’t expect it to make such waves,” said Popp.

BVB as a “childhood dream”

The fans’ enthusiasm and her close bond with Borussia Dortmund reinforce Popp’s belief that dropping down from the Bundesliga to the Regionalliga was exactly the right decision: “I’ve been able to experience so much in my career. But now wearing the shirt of my childhood dream is something words can’t describe. I’m happy I was still able to fulfill that dream.”

By signing a three-year contract, Popp is tying herself to major ambitions. She makes no secret of it: “With these fans, something really big can grow. In terms of infrastructure, within the team—there’s so much room for improvement, so much potential. It’s great to be able to help develop that.”

She is also confident when asked about her goals by the end of her contract in 2029: “I want us to be in the first division by then. If things go the way I imagine, my final year would still be in the first division. And that we’d even be able to reach a mid-table position there. And show: we’re here, and we’re here to stay. After that, we want to aim right for the top.”

Kobel: “I believe we’re capable of a lot”

Unlike the women’s team, Dortmund’s men were denied success in their first competitive match of the season. Despite the narrow 2-1 defeat to FC Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup last Saturday at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Gregor Kobel is still heading into the season with confidence. “In the end, we had the chance to get more out of it. So that makes it twice as frustrating. But you have to be able to move on from that,” he said, referring to the improved second-half performance and Maximilian Beier’s big chance to equalize shortly before the final whistle.

What especially encourages Kobel are the impressions left by the summer signings. “The guys who’ve come in have a cool spirit. You can tell they want to be successful and they bring joy to their game. That’s good for us,” said the goalkeeper.

Kobel expects Konstantinos Karetsas and Giannis Konstantelias in particular to bring fresh ideas to the attack: “You can tell both of them are eager to play. They brought in fresh energy, were brave, and tried to create things. They can be a lot of fun to watch. I really believe in them and I feel they have enormous potential and can perform right away.”

Heading into his sixth season at BVB, the 28-year-old is longing for his first title: “The goal is to have something in our hands at the end— for all of us. It’s a long and tough road. But we’ve got a great squad. I believe we’re capable of a lot.”

Looking forward to the derby

The new season has a first in store for both Popp and Kobel: each of the two leaders will play their first derby against FC Schalke 04. As a promoted side, Schalke are among the co-favorites in the women’s Regionalliga, and on the men’s side, after returning to the Bundesliga, they are once again among BVB’s great rivals. The derby will be revived on matchday 12 at the start of December. Kobel is already eagerly awaiting the clash: “I’m extremely excited for this game. I missed two derbies through injury. It’s a match that belongs in the Bundesliga. I’m glad it’s back.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.