Motivation Burns Bright for Two German Women's National Team Players Ahead of Home Match at the Weser Stadium
German females exhibit heightened enthusiasm for their team's competition.
Friday evening sees Germany take on Netherlands at the Weser Stadium. For national team players Giovanna Hoffmann and Laura Freigang, this game holds special significance.
Giovanna Hoffmann, a native of Bremerhaven, is set to realize a lifelong dream. "For me, this is a unique story," shared the five-time DFB striker on the team's official website ahead of the first women's international match at the Weser Stadium. "As a child, I always dreamt that this would be the greatest moment—and now I'm here with the national team."
Her family and friends will be in attendance to celebrate this career highpoint, as Hoffmann spends most of her time playing for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. She began her career training with Werder Bremen between 2012 and 2015, making the leap from junior to first team at her beloved hometown club.
Hoffmann recounted the support she received from her coaches at Werder, especially Alex Kluge and Birte Brueggemann, during times of struggle. This includes her ankle fracture in 2015, for which she remains grateful to them for fostering her path at Werder.
Laura Freigang, a Frankfurt native with roots in Kiel, shares a special bond with Bremen due to her youth football days with Holstein Kiel. "Bremen was always a rival," she reminisced. However, she never developed any resentment towards Werder. "I was a Werder Bremen fan back then, attracted by their green jerseys. Bremen feels inviting to me, I am fond of being in Northern Germany."
Freigang, a 27-year-old national team player, expresses excitement about the floodlit atmosphere at Weser Stadium. "Playing at the Weser Stadium was unfortunately delayed, but Bremen is a quintessential football city," she explained. "For us, home games are always something special. This will be an exciting football day."
From a sporting perspective, Freigang forecasts a challenging encounter against the Netherlands. "The Netherlands are a top-tier opponent," she noted a month before the European Championship scheduled for Switzerland (2nd July to 27th July 2025). The team seeks to polish their last preparations, aiming to excel at the EM with their new team and numerous gifted players.
Giovanna Hoffmann, despite her current playing for RB Leipzig, began her football career training with Werder Bremen, a club she holds a special affinity for due to her hometown connection. Laura Freigang, with roots in Kiel, has a unique bond with Bremen, as her youth football days were spent with Holstein Kiel, even though Bremen was once a rival. In the realm of health and wellness, Hoffmann remains grateful for the support she received during her struggle, including her ankle fracture in 2015, from her coaches at Werder Bremen, notably Alex Kluge and Birte Brueggemann, who played a significant role in her football journey. Meanwhile, Freigang expresses excitement about the prospect of playing in the floodlit atmosphere at Weser Stadium, which she considers a quintessential football city, and sees the upcoming encounter against the Netherlands as a Science-based challenge, preparing them for the European Championship in the realm of sports.
