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Interview with Ann-Sophie Vogel: "Become part of something great"
Ann-Sophie Vogel is actually a bit excited. Not because of the interview that saw her come to Café Espresso Perfetto on Lake Phoenix, but because of what's on the agenda this evening. In less than three hours, she and her teammates will lay the centre circle tarpaulin ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Champions League encounter with Celtic, and will be standing on the pitch at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK for the first time. At this stage, she does not yet know that a truly special Black & Yellow European night will follow.
But you can imagine what sort of mood she will be in at around 17:30 after the 7-1 victory. Two days earlier, the 26-year-old left-back scored her first competitive goal for BVB in the 3-1 win at SV Germania Hauenhorst. And it was an important one too, settling her side's nerves by extending the lead to 2-0 . Ann-Sophie Vogel has well and truly arrived in Dortmund.
Annso, as everyone calls you, is it true that you had no connection to the Black & Yellows at all before you made the move to BVB?
That's right. I wasn't a BVB fan from a young age like some of my teammates. Before I moved here, I had hardly come into contact with Dortmund. But after just a few weeks at the club, I feel so connected BVB it that I would already say I have become a fan.
Good to hear it happened so quickly. What won you over you in such a short space of time?
In Dortmund, it is quite different than in Bochum, where I also played under the umbrella of a Bundesliga team. BVB gives and does a lot to ensure that we feel comfortable as female footballers. I feel a strong connection and feel that we belong to the club, and are an integral part of it. Here, it is not the case of the club and the women's department – rather, we are the women's department of the club. We are a big club – and together we are Borussia Dortmund. I find that remarkable. I've not experienced a club being so behind the women at my previous teams.
In late-September, at the game in Hauenhorst, you scored your first competitive goal. It was an important goal, making it 2-0 in another tight match. In general, the days of double-digit victories for BVB in the Westfalenliga seem to be over.
That's how it is. The opponents are stronger, the league is tighter, so you cannot assume that we will continue to score seven or eight goals in every match. We are winning the home games comfortably though, as we have a lot of confidence there. But we are still having a bit of a hard time on the road at the moment. We still have to get to the point where we play our own game on foreign soil. It is always different away from home – it is not our pitch, not our scenery, a different dressing room, plus the longer journey. The details that go into preparing for an away match are different than for a home match. Nevertheless, it must be our aspiration to win more clearly on the road.
It is easy to see that an away game is fundamentally different from a home game. But to what extent does a different dressing room actually have a concrete impact and effect on preparations for a game?
For a home game, it is our dressing room, which we are familiar with, and it is charged with positive memories. Then we go out onto our pitch. We know very well that we won here two weeks ago. But when you are away, you lose that anchor. For many of us, every other stadium is completely new – we have never been to that place before. In concrete terms, this means that we must first familiarise ourselves with the nature of the pitch and the external circumstances. We have no influence on that, and the main thing is that it is never the same – it's different every two weeks. We are still struggling to take to the conditions on the road, for example when the pitch is not perfect.
What makes a pitch perfect so that you feel comfortable?
The players here have quite different views when it comes to that. For me as a full-back, the grass can be a bit wet, so that the ball can move a bit faster. We all like it when the pitch is flat and we can link up well. When there are lumps and bumps, it is more and more difficult – and when it is deep and short grass, we can't move the ball around as quickly as we need for our best game. Basically, I always prefer natural grass pitches over artificial turf.
Would you say that in summary there is still potential for improvement in many areas, but as a team, we have more or less arrived in the Westfalenliga?
Definitely. Our start in Iserlohn was anything but good. Of course, we had imagined it going differently. But in hindsight, the defeat was also good for us in a way. We knew from day one that it was a different league with different opponents. Since then, we've known that no game will be an easy one, and we have accepted that challenge. We now know that we need to put in performances, week after week. And we've understood that as a team. So morale is good. I personally feel very comfortable.
So that 3-1 defeat at FC Iserlohn was a shot across the bow at the right time.
Certainly better than late in the season, when you might not be able to put it right. Now we have the reverse fixture against Iserlohn and two derbies against the other top team from Gelsenkirchen. So it was a bit of a bump in the road at the start, which certainly did introduce some uncertainty, but we responded well to it. We changed our attitude and stood up to the pressure that it brought with it. That too is a good thing to see.
Nevertheless, the week after that must have been a little nerve-racking, right? After all, it was the first dropped point ever in the history of BVB women's football, and above all, the momentum from the promotion-winning season was abruptly halted.
Yes, but we also showed the right reaction in the following two home games, winning 7-0 and 8-0. The defeat in the opening game has shown us that success is a staircase, and you sometimes have to take one step back and then go up two to make progress. In Iserlohn, we should have battled our way to win the game, but we were not prepared to do it that day. But we are now, and will have to be, time and again. We will face opponents who are highly motivated, especially when we are away from home. We are the big BVB, coming from the bottom and looking to go straight up, so obviously everyone wants to be a thorn in our side. We have to be ready for that.
Staying with the idea of the staircase, you too have taken a step back with your transfer to BVB, as after your promotion with VfL Bochum, you would have been playing in the Bundesliga 2 this season. Why did you switch to Borussia Dortmund this summer of all times?
Because I see the prospects. The club in general is bigger than Bochum, but also the women's football department. The investments being made here and how professional everything is, it's impressive – and people all over Germany are taking notice. After the cup match against Dortmund a year ago, I realised that there was a real development taking place here at BVB, that the whole club is behind it and want to move onwards and upwards. Everyone at Bochum felt that first-hand. When the chance arose to be a part of it, I weighed it up, and ultimately, it was a clear choice for me. The framework conditions are excellent. Women's football has a completely different significance at BVB, which means that we, as players, are valued in a completely different way. So you just want to be a part of something great.
Still, it must have been a tough process, weighing it all up: on the one hand, the chance to play in the second tier straight away and also to do that together with your sister, Alessandra. And on the other hand, the prospects you spoke of. Your decision shows a certain foresight.
My sister was indeed a factor. We have always played together at senior level – so we were both sad when I made my choice and realised that this would be the first season in which we are separated from each other.
What are you missing now that she's not with you?
We are very similar and have always had a very good relationship. We're good friends. So I know very well how she would assess a situation which we would both be excited or upset about – I don't have that way of venting now. When I come home after training or a game and just have to let off steam, I no longer have someone who has been through it with me. That dialogue, which has helped both of us on a personal level, is now missing – and on the pitch, the direct link-up down the left wing. We played on the left together in Bochum and, of course, had a certain telepathy. That was a big change for me at first.
Who do you talk to now? Where do you speak about your impressions and experiences with Borussia Dortmund?
With various teammates. From the beginning, I had the feeling that the team was very open. I get along very well with several players. Also, my dad goes to almost every game. I like to talk to him about my performances on the pitch, because he can always cast a critical eye on it – not negative, but constructive. He sees the value of the approach of constant improvement.
You studied rehabilitation education. How do you use that today?
I work as an educational specialist in the youth welfare facility in Coesfeld, where I grew up.
So the Münsterland is still the centre of your life?
Yes, but I have already thought about moving closer to Dortmund. Especially if things go as we all imagine, it will probably take up a lot of my time. The trip from Coesfeld takes an hour.
What do you do when you're not playing football, working, or on your way there?
I like to spend time with my family, my boyfriend and good friends who live all over NRW. I go to the gym for time to myself. And if I have time off, I try to make good use of it. For example, I like to go on a trip somewhere, be it with my sister or my mother.
What sort of places do you like to go to?
I thought for a long time that I was all about the beach and sea, but thanks to the training camp with Borussia Dortmund in Westendorf, I actually discovered the mountains. I did go Bavaria when I was a child, but the mountains are not quite as grand there. But after the camp, I was immediately fascinated, and have wanted to go on a hiking holiday ever since.
And on the pitch?
It is my goal and my ambition to win promotion to the Regionalliga. That's what I am here for, and I am ready to give it my all. In addition, I have been following the handballers on Insta for some time and I really want to go to a Bundesliga match. We are always happy when the stands at the Rote Erde are decked in Black & Yellow.