Melanie Leupolz will move to Chelsea next season. In an exclusive interview, she reveals her motives and reports on the difficulty of finding accommodation in the Corona crisis.
- Melanie Leupolz to leave Bayern after six years *
- The international will move to Chelsea in London this summer
- In the exclusive interview , she reveals her motivation for the change
Ms. Leupolz, in the middle of the Corona crisis *, the news of your move from Bayern to Chelsea comes. How do you feel about it
Melanie Leupolz: Of course I'm very happy. It is a decision that I have considered very carefully. When I recently visited Chelsea FC in London, the visit confirmed that it was a good decision. Before it happens, there are still a few important games to play with Bayern .
What exactly convinced you about Chelsea FC?
Leupolz: The club has started a lot, my adviser and I were really expected by a committee there. Chelsea FC had a lot of cameras and press workers on site, I have definitely met 20 people. This shows how professionally the club is set up. We met at Stamford Bridge - it was very impressive to get there and look down on the lawn. Even if the Chelsea women do not play most of the games there, I hope for one or two games at Stamford Bridge. I was also impressed by the discussions with those responsible - on the one hand with trainer Emma Hayes and on the other hand with sports director Marina Granovskaia. She is responsible for the entire club, but did not miss the opportunity to greet me. There is no difference between men and women at Chelsea. Marina said that she was involved in all steps of my commitment - and she was very knowledgeable about me. I was impressed.
FC Bayern: Melanie Leupolz in an exclusive interview about her move to Chelsea
After six years, the FC Bayern chapter ends in the summer. Why?
Leupolz: In professional football, six years at a club is a very long time. I have personally said from the start of my career that I would like to play abroad. Now is the right time for me to take this step. I can totally identify with the concept and the football of Chelsea FC . I'm looking forward to a new challenge. London is a beautiful city, I will also improve my language skills there. That could help me later in my job. I have a bachelor's degree in business administration and management and am currently studying business psychology with a focus on "leadership and management". This is also the direction after my career.
Melanie Leupolz, captain of the #FCBayern women, changes to Chelsea in the summer. All the best, Melly! ⚪️
ℹ️ https://t.co/E9RWdBYISQ pic.twitter.com/CVq4gflnvj
Is the English league stronger than the German?
Leupolz: It's difficult to say. When the top teams from Germany play against the top teams from England, I don't know if there would be a clear winner in this comparison. I think the two leagues are at eye level. I find it very exciting that the marketing of women's football in England is so good. I was also convinced that the women are very well integrated into the entire Chelsea FC club. And women's football needs this kind of support.
FC Bayern: Melanie Leupolz changes to Chelsea - "Football on the island is very attractive"
What do you expect in terms of sport in the Women's Super League?
Leupolz: A different kind of football is played in England. I've played against English teams a couple of times with FC Bayern, and I've also watched a few games on TV. I find football on the island very attractive. I also think that I can develop enormously there and take a big step forward. I am aware that I have to change and adapt my usual game a bit for this.
You mentioned marketing. Does the German league need to catch up in this regard?
Leupolz: There are some teams in Germany that have no men's teams at all. At FC Bayern, we benefit a lot from the club's global brand *, but I think you could do even more when it comes to integration. In general, women's football is somewhat dependent on the income and marketing of the men's teams. I think you could make a huge difference in women's football if you shared structures like the marketing departments.
Melanie Leupolz: That's why I'm leaving FC Bayern's “feel-good oasis”
You are the captain of FC Bayern and have been in the club for six years. Is the step out of the “wellness oasis” deliberately chosen?
Leupolz: I have to emphasize that the conditions on the Bayern campus are great, the club is one of the top clubs in Europe and we have a very strong competition - in this respect there would be no reason to change. But I want to move out of the comfort zone. I want to experience and master something unusual, I want to prevail at Chelsea FC. This includes everyday life in London, completely different training and a new sporting role. I am aware of the role I am leaving behind at Bayern. I have always had a great appreciation and enormous trust from the club, also because I am now captain. I have now decided to take on this new challenge - and hope that I will grow as a person and personality.
When did the thoughts go towards Chelsea FC?
Leupolz: The desire to go abroad has always been there. But it was about the right time for this step. At FC Bayern it always worked out very well for me. Last summer I decided to go to Munich for another year because I was very excited to see what the philosophy of the new coach Jens Scheuer would look like and whether he could take me further.
FC Bayern: Melanie Leupolz on the transfer in the corona crisis
After just a year of scrubbing, go now. Didn't he get you on as you hoped?
Leupolz: No, you can't say that. We haven't had an easy season so far, but that was mainly due to the fact that we had a big change in the team last summer. We also had to get to know the trainer first - and he got to know us. We worked very well during the winter break and continued to develop. I think FC Bayern is on the right track. I am convinced of the club's concept and I think it can work if the right commitments are made and the coach is kept. I think something big can happen in Munich. So I decided neither against the coach, nor against Bayern - but for Chelsea.
How do you deal with the current uncertainty due to the corona crisis?
Leupolz: Of course it would be a shame if I were not allowed to play for Bayern anymore. I am now becoming more and more aware of where the decisions on how to proceed due to the Corona crisis drag on. In my head I was prepared to wear the Bayern jersey until summer and then get a real farewell. If the last game was behind me now, it would be very bitter for me. But first of all you have to consider the health situation. If games are not to be represented, then the officials have to act responsibly and in the worst case decide that the continuation of the Bundesliga season makes no sense. But now I am optimistic that I will be back on the pitch for FC Bayern.
How do the plans continue in London. It is not possible to travel there ...
Leupolz: Like my teammates, I am at home in voluntary quarantine. For the time being, I cannot get to know London or find an apartment there. If we can play in Germany again, there will be no time to travel to London. Chelsea FC is very well positioned for such cases. The team supervisor is in close contact with me and knows exactly what I'm looking for. She can view apartments for me and send me videos of them.
Interview: Jonas Austermann
* tz.de and merkur.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital network
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Sebastian Gollnow
