Season Review 2024/2025 – “The way the team responded to changes during winter was truly impressive”

In the end, we clinched the Regionalliga Nordost title and secured direct promotion to the 2. Bundesliga – plus the Berlin Cup victory means we’ve got the double in the bag.

To wrap up this exceptional season, our Sporting Director Catharina Schimpf takes a look back.

In the interview, she reflects on key moments, shares what made this promotion possible, and gives us a glimpse of the next steps and new challenges on the road to the 2. Bundesliga.

The 2024/2025 season has come to an end. How do you look back on it?

We set out this season with a clear goal: promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. The fact that we’ve achieved that goal fills us with joy and pride. It’s a huge success for the entire team and the club.

But to tell the full story, we have to acknowledge that this result wasn’t always a given as the season unfolded. Especially during the first half of the season, it was a tight race with strong competitors like Hertha BSC and RB Leipzig II. The 0–3 loss in the direct clash with Hertha was definitely a setback – from that point on, we were chasing. We went into the winter break in second place and stayed there until matchday 14.

On top of that, we had a challenging period around the turn of the year, including a change in head coach. Moments like that always bring a certain degree of uncertainty. But our team faced that challenge with impressive unity and strong team spirit. We came back from the winter break with real strength and focus.

In the end, we stand at the top of the table with a ten-point lead and 20 wins from 22 games – a dominant title win, crowned by lifting the Berlin Cup. It was a season we won’t forget anytime soon.

Was there a key moment when you felt: “This is it – we’re really going to win the league and secure promotion”?

It’s almost impossible to point to just one moment. But the entire winter preparation was definitely a key turning point. Despite the change in the coaching position and less-than-ideal weather and pitch conditions, the team spirit was extremely positive. At that point, it was clear to all of us: the second half of the season is entirely in our hands.

During our training camp in Malta, there was a strong sense of intensity and willingness to learn. Seeing how quickly the team and our new head coach Miren Ćatović connected gave us great confidence for what lay ahead. The successful friendlies against first and second division teams gave us even more self-belief and momentum going into the second half of the season.

Once the league resumed, we quickly found our flow. You could feel it – we were on track. One standout moment during this phase was the cup semi-final against Hertha BSC, where we came from behind to win. It was a clear sign of our strength.

Another key moment came in April, in the top-of-the-table clash against RB Leipzig II. Our 3–1 away win in a match that drew a lot of attention allowed us to build a real points cushion. From there, we carried the lead confidently over the finish line with more wins.

How did you experience the development of the team and individual players throughout the season?

Our squad was strong from the very beginning. The new signings integrated quickly over the summer and immediately took on responsibility. Even early in the season, it was clear how much potential this team had. A good example of that was our performance in the DFB Cup against top-tier side Turbine Potsdam in September.

During the second half of the season, we managed to bring more dominance, consistency, and composure to our game in many matches. The team played with more courage, better structure, and greater maturity. This was also reflected in our improved efficiency in front of goal. With 105 goals scored, we had the best attack in the league – and with only 10 goals conceded, also the strongest defence.

One key factor behind this progress in the second half of the season was the adaptation of training content and focus areas by the coaching staff led by Miren Ćatović. At the same time, there were individual improvements in athletic performance – many players made significant strides in this area.

With the title in the bag, we’re heading up to the 2. Bundesliga next season. What changes will that bring – both on and off the pitch?

Promotion means one thing above all: from now on, we’re competing on a national level. Away games will take us all across Germany – to places like Ingolstadt, Bochum or Bayern Munich II. That’s a whole new dimension in terms of organisation: longer journeys, overnight stays and a much bigger logistical effort. Our players will need time to adapt to that. The mental and physical demands will be on a different level.

From a sporting perspective, we’re expecting a clear step up in quality. The 2. Bundesliga is much more competitive overall, and the level of play is significantly higher. In particular, the intensity and pace of the game will noticeably increase. Our ambition is to find our feet quickly in the league and make an immediate impact.

What are the key steps that need to be taken in the coming weeks to prepare for the next chapter?

A new season – especially one following promotion to a higher league – naturally brings changes, particularly within the squad. Planning for the new campaign is already well underway. In total, we’ll be saying goodbye to seven players from our promotion-winning team. That’s never easy, especially when those players were an essential part of such a special squad and helped shape our success. At the same time, change is part of professional sport. That’s why we’re especially happy to announce that our captain Anouk Dekker will be staying with us in a new role as assistant coach after ending her playing career. Julia Haake will also remain part of the club, taking on a new role as our team photographer.

To compete in the 2. Bundesliga, it was crucial for us to build a squad that can meet the demands of this league. We want to make it possible for our players to fully focus on football in a professional environment. Around the existing core of the team, we’re aiming to increase internal competition in a healthy way and strengthen the squad’s depth with players who bring experience from higher levels. We’ve already secured our first new signings who fit this profile: Sarah Abu Sabbah, Alisa Grincenco, and Sarah Stöckmann. When adding further reinforcements, we’re looking for a balanced mix of quality, experience, and personality. It’s important to us that new players fit both on and off the pitch.

Beyond the squad, we’re also continuing to develop the structures around the team. That includes updated training schedules to help players balance their everyday lives with the demands of professional sport. We’re also investing in support and team operations, since the workload and match intensity will increase. The whole team will be challenged to deliver at the highest level every single week.

We’re also aiming for major progress in our youth development. We’re expanding our performance-oriented talent programmes, starting with our U20 team in the Berlin-Liga and our U17 squad. We want to build on the great work of recent years and take the next steps to solidify these structures.

We’re using the summer break to set all these things in motion. After a four-week break, we’ll return to training on 6 July 2025. The first step will be the mandatory medical checks required for playing eligibility in the new league. Then, we’ll move into performance testing with our athletic coach before heading off to our training camp in Kienbaum in mid-July.