A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Merle Frohms' Detach at VfL Wolfsburg
Uninformed Goalie Departure from Wolfsburg
Merle Frohms, a seasoned German national goalkeeper, has spilled the beans about her benching at VfL Wolfsburg following her move to Real Madrid. In a candid interview with the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", she shared:
Demoted Due to Silence and Ambiguity
For two years, Frohms dominated her position as Germany's second-choice goalkeeper, playing 52 international matches between 2018 and 2024. However, just before the Olympic Games, she was relegated to a secondary role by national coach Horst Hrubesch. That wasn't the only blow; she publically announced her exit from the national team in September, and her retirement was marked by blame-shifting on the German Football Association (DFB) for insufficient communication.
Wolfsburg's then-head coach Tommy Stroot also took action against Frohms, pushing her to third-choice goalkeeper in the second half of the season—a decision she felt was thoroughly unexplained. Stroot vehemently denied any correlation between Frohms' departure and her demotion.
Attempts to Delay Her Exit
"I was the undisputed number one. I felt secure, I was on top of the world – until the winter break," said Frohms, who achieved massive success during her ten-year stint at Wolfsburg, accumulating multiple Champions League and Bundesliga championships, as well as seven DFB-Pokal victories. The abrupt move left her feeling frustrated, with a longing for clarification on the decision.
Following her decision to retire, Real Madrid swooped in, offering a salvaging three-year contract to the now former-Wolfsburg goalkeeper. Surprisingly, Christian Wück, the new successor to Hrubesch, made a last-ditch attempt to persuade Frohms to remain a part of the national team setup.
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Sports analysis: Merle Frohms' discontent at VfL Wolfsburg during the second half of the 2020-21 season was rooted in a lack of communication from head coach Tommy Stroot concerning her demotion to third-choice goalkeeper. This lack of sports-analysis contributed to Frohms' departure to Real Madrid, where she could find clarity and a more transparent sports environment.
