'It's more difficult for Wolfsburg today' - Women's Champions League winner Joelle Wedemeyer opens up on obstacles for two-time European champions but explains aim is still 'to win every game'

European champions in both 2013 and 2014, Wolfsburg were the biggest rival on the Champions League stage for eight-time winners Lyon throughout the 2010s, but they have found things more difficult in recent years while clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea have become regulars in the semi-finals. The greater financial means of these teams has forced Wolfsburg to adapt, with sporting director Ralf Kellermann, head coach for both European triumphs, explaining to GOAL previously how the club is now targeting young players and developing them, for example, instead of signing the best in the business.

"Yes, of course, the landscape has changed," Wedemeyer said this week, ahead of Wolfsburg's important Champions League group-stage clash with Roma on Wednesday. "Nowadays, we have many more bigger clubs with a lot more financial means and this means they can buy the good players and this makes it more difficult for Wolfsburg to keep the good players and also to buy those good players. But nonetheless, I think the club and Ralf do a really good job to put together a really good and competitive squad, also with young talents and good players.

"Also, we have these experienced older players like Svenja Huth and Alex Popp with their great careers and the whole sport can put their trust in them also. I think the DNA of Wolfsburg is still the same. We still want to win. We still have that confidence in ourselves. But I also could say the face of the club, or the face of the squad, obviously, is changing with players coming and going, but we're still the same. We still want to win every game, and of course, it's our goal to qualify and to stay in the competition even after the group phase."

That recruitment of young players who then develop into top-class individuals has proved fruitful, with the likes of Lena Oberdorf and Ewa Pajor among the success stories, though the fact they are now at Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively highlights the obstacles the club face. A player like Wedemeyer, who debuted for Wolfsburg back in 2013, can play an important role here, given her experience at the top level and in the club.

"I always try to pass on this DNA that we were talking about," she explained. "I also try to help them, the younger players, to develop and try to help them to feel good at Wolfsburg, because this is really important. In order to give a good performance, you need to feel good. But also they need to know that this good performance is really necessary here at Wolfsburg. It's demanded. I also try always to be open. I'm always there for them if they want to ask questions. They know they can approach me. In general, I just want to help them to develop."

Alongside the adaptable squad composition, that winning mentality has helped Wolfsburg continue to compete for top honours despite these challenges. The two-time European champions have won the last two DFB-Pokal titles, while their last Bundesliga triumph was only in 2022 and at the end of the 2022-23 season, they were back in the Champions League final after a three-year absence - though Barcelona's comeback from 2-0 down, to win 3-2, meant the trophy went to Catalunya.

"It just shows the good conditions that we have here at Wolfsburg and, in general, the good work that is done in Wolfsburg," Wedemeyer said of these recent successes. "This concerns everybody - the coaches, the club, the responsible persons leading the club, the players, the whole tactical approach that we have and also that we're always close together. We're always giving 100%, we're always staying together as a squad, 100% close together, and I think it's this whole package which allows us to still compete at the top. We can still keep up with the bigger clubs."

Wolfsburg have two big games this month as they bid to make the Champions League knockout stages again. The German giants are locked into a fierce battle to qualify with Roma, who they are level on points with ahead of their final two group stage games. On Wednesday, they host the Italian champions, then they travel to France to take on Lyon, who have already qualified, on December 17.

"I think we know how to play these big games and we know how to approach these big games," Wedemeyer said. "We are always very stable in our whole squad and, of course, we need also leaders but the main point is that we are really always close as a squad. There's not only one player who everybody relies on, but the whole team is acting as one - although we know, of course, that we also need those special players, those leading players. But I think we also showed it against Bayern Munich [in a 2-0 win in October] that we can really show that team performance. That's why we know where we're coming from and that's why we also approach those matches with a lot of courage."