by The VisitMalta Women Club Trophy will kick-off today with a double-header between German giants VfL Wolfsburg and Dutch outfit, PSV Women, before Germany’s TSG Hoffenheim faces off against Swiss outfit, FC Basel later in the day. The tournament is hosted as a training camp in Malta, which will enable the locals to enjoy different women’s football action, though notably missing any Maltese presence.
*Update Sunday 11th 13:45pm – FC Basel against TSG Hoffenheim (KO 18:00) will also be played at the National Football Centre and open to the public.
The Tournament, Matches & How To Watch
The VisitMalta Women Club Trophy is scheduled to kick-off this afternoon with a mouthwatering double-header. German giants VfL Wolfsburg take on Dutch outfit PSV Vrouwen at the newly inaugurated National Football Centre in Ta’ Qali at 14:00. The match will be followed by another one just across in the Malta FA Training Grounds, where Swiss side FC Basel will take on German side TSG Hoffenheim (KO 18:00).
The second matchday will be on Wednesday (14th January) with the National Football Centre hosting PSV against TSG Hoffenheim at 11 am. The tournament will be closed off by the clash between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Basel at the Tony Bezzina Stadium, kicking off at 15:00.
Matches held at the National Football Centre and the Tony Bezzina Stadium are open to the public with free admission. The match to be held at the Malta FA Training Grounds between Basel & TSG Hoffenheim is not since it does not have spectator facilities.
The matches were originally due to be held at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium, but it is understood that inclement weather which exacerbated the condition of the pitch has forced the matches to be relocated to the stated venues.
Indeed, several YoHealth Premier League matches were shifted away from the Ta’ Qali National Stadium this past week, with collateral impacts on other matches. This included the Assikura Women’s Youth League match between Hibernians and Valletta, which was relocated to the Charles Abela Stadium on short notice, making way for the men’s top tier clash between Floriana and Hamrun Spartans.
For those away from Malta’s shores, the VfL Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim faithfuls may catch their team in action via the clubs’ official digital channels, with potential livestreams expected on their Youtube channels. There is no further information at the time of writing about potential separate streaming from other participating clubs. The local national station, TVM, is expected to air matches at a later date.
The Teams
The sides coming into the tournament hail from three European countries having different success at national level, with their domestic leagues all aiming toward full professionalisation.
VfL Wolfsburg
German outfit VfL Wolfsburg claims headlines and is the favourite for the winning haul in the tournament, having a rich history in the women’s game with seven Women’s Bundesliga titles and eleven cup domestic cup titles. However, their dominance in Germany has been reduced in recent years, with Bayern Munich rising in competition in the league, although Wolfsburg has still retained success in the domestic cup.
The side also won back to back Uefa Women’s Champions League titles in 2013 and 2014, but have had to settle for runner’s up medals on four more occasions, most recently to Barcelona in 2023. It makes this side the one with the most formidable history, but one which really shows the increased competition in the women’s game with recent investments across the board.
With long-time servant Alexandra Popp captaining the side, alongside Svenja Huth, as well as the recruitment of Lineth Beerensteyn, the side has no shortage of known players. Led by Stephan Lerch, the team is currently holding second place in the Frauen Bundesliga, six points behind Bayern Munich. That will be a battle to look out for as the season returns. However, first the team will seek to exploit the best of the tournament in getting the gears up and running for the second portion of the season.
TSG Hoffenheim
A side who is well known to Wolfsburg is TSG Hoffenheim, a German outfit currently in fourth place in the Frauen Bundesliga on 26 points. A side that earned promotion in 2013 and has managed stability in Germany’s top tier, despite still searching for their first trophy.
The team is well known to Wolfsburg’s coach, Stephan Lerch, who returned to Wolfsburg this season following a stint with TSG Hoffenheim, though he had previous success with the German giants. The links go further as news broke that Hoffenheum will be now led by Eva-Maria Virsinger, former Wolfsburg assistant coach who leaves Wolfsburg mid-way.
Selina Cerci will be one to look out for with the forward currently topping the Bundesliga top scorer’s list, equal with Alexandra Popp on ten goals, while Laura Dick is one looking for a solid performance in goal. Dutch international Lisa Doorn will be looking to shore up the defence alongside potential younger faces like Sara Ritter, with the latter returning from injury.
Having welcomed Danish defender Emilie Byrnak from Hacken, the side could also be testing out a new face, as well as a few youth players looking to make the jump into senior team football. Captained by Vanessa Diehm in midfield alongside the experience of Polish international Dominika Grabowska, the team will be looking to make an impression, but most importantly, to get their first moments under Virsinger’s leadership on the right track.
FC Basel
The Swiss outfit has made headlines with a strong January transfer window, including achieving the signature of New Zealand international Jacqui Hand. Currently in fifth place, the side has ground to make up in effort to return to European football.
Their best domestic success came in 2017/18 where they finished in runner’s up position, which at the time qualified them for the UWCL qualification round, with Switzerland holding two spots in the competition.
Omar Adlani was appointed coach earlier this season, with the team captained by the experience of Swiss international, Coumba Sow. There will be interest in how the team fairs against the likes of Hoffenheim, with the two sides looking to break ground into European football, while giving insight into how the mid-tables of the Swiss and German leagues fair against each other. Having fell to a 4 – 0 defeat to Hoffenheim over a summer friendly, Basel will be looking to make amends.
PSV Vrouwen
Last but not least, PSV have become a well known side to the Maltese shores. Into their consecutive appearances of a winter camp in Malta, it will be interesting to see how the Dutch outfit fairs against the two German teams.
Currently holding third place in the Eredivisie, the team is maintaining close pace with their usual suspects, Ajax & Twente, just three points off Ajax, and one off Twente (although the latter has a game in hand).
The club confirmed that the team will be continuing under Roeland ten Berge’s leadership for another year, having first been appointed in the summer of 2023. Continuing to have their posts covered by Belgian international Nicky Evrard, as well as the likes of Danish defender Sara Thrige, the team is still predominantly composed of Dutch internationals.
They will certainly be without the services of Dutch defender Aniek Nouwen, who was confirmed to have torn her cruciate ligament in her right knee, during training at the start of this calendar year. This has come as an even bigger blow, considering the 26-year-old has just made a pitch-return from recovering the same injury on her left knee.
They recently announced the recruitment of Belgian defender Janice Cayman from Leicester City, with Shanice Van de Sanden having been also announced in late December. Joining the likes of experienced Dutch forward Renate Jansen alongside another signing in Fenna Kalma, it will be interesting to see how the side fairs against the German outfits, Wolfsburg in their opening match, before facing Hoffenheim on Wednesday. The team has the advantage of having played on the Tony Bezzina surface before, having faced Manchester United Women in their previous stay.
With a few windy gusts and clouds threatening the much sought Mediterranean sun, the stage is set for some footballing action. It presents a unique opportunity for those in Malta to watch a few fresh women’s football teams, though sadly, the tournament will feature no link to the domestic sides except cherished memories of Rachel Cuschieri’s exploits with PSV Vrouwen.
Lead Images: VfL Wolfsburg / TSG Hoffenheim / PSV Women / FC Basel
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