Alexander Straus interview: ‘That's how top teams work’

“Successful, entertaining, together, progressive and challenging” – that's how head coach Alexander Straus describes his first two seasons at FC Bayern Women. The Norwegian will begin his third campaign in charge with Sunday’s Supercup against Wolfsburg. In an interview with fcbayern.com, Straus provides an insight into his work and philosophy, as well as looking ahead to the 2024/25 season.

Interview with Alexander Straus

Alex, a training camp, friendly matches and now a full squad - how satisfied are you with pre-season?
Straus: “I'm very happy with pre-season. Two years ago, we still had certain fluctuations in the training sessions. Mostly at a top level, but also sometimes unfocussed and making mistakes. Now we are consistently at a very high level and always push our limits in the sessions. We are also pushing the boundaries. The training camp in particular was excellent. The players approached every day as if it was a matchday. That's how top teams work, and this development is an ongoing process.”

You often refer to this “process”. Where did you start it two years ago and where are we currently at in the process?
“It's true, we've already talked about it a lot [laughs]. The process affects everyone individually, but also the team as a whole. It's about getting better and better, developing and growing. We obviously want to be successful in the form of titles. On the other hand, success is much more than that. Let me give you an example: We have won the Bundesliga title twice in a row, which is fantastic. However, we may not become champions in one season, but we may have developed more than in a season in which we won the title. For me, that wouldn't make this season any less successful. This process is not a straight line, we have to be patient. FC Bayern is about more than just 90 minutes on the pitch. We have to be successful, but we have to go our own way. That's what ‘Mia san mia’ stands for, that's our philosophy.”

A big part of this philosophy is the work with young players at FC Bayern Women.
“A big and important part! Compared to other top clubs, we have a lot of young players in our ranks. I’m convinced that many of them will play a decisive role at Bayern in the future. We’re in a position to compete at the highest level with other teams and at the same time develop our young players. We've let players go who haven't played much. This creates room for talented youngsters who perform well. It gives them the opportunity to prove themselves in matches. The fact that we were able to defend the title for a second year shows that we are on the right track, despite the disappointments we suffered due to the early Champions League exit and the defeat in the cup final.”

What will you take with you from the difficult phases of last season into the new season?
“I work even harder in difficult phases. It wasn't an easy time, but we stayed calm because we had solutions. After that, it's over for me. I only ever focus on the work we have to do at the moment. Our attitude is that there are no ‘off days’. That's the biggest step we've taken so far. The players push each other and us; we push them. Nobody accepts less than 100 percent. We’ve created an environment where growth is particularly possible and everyone is hungry for success. Creating and maintaining this environment is the most important task I have. I enjoy working with the team and the team behind the team every day.”

There have been two new appointments to your backroom staff with assistants Clara Schöne and Kjetil Lone. What characterises the two of them?
“We already had a strong coaching team for the last two seasons. Jérôme Reisacher has now taken over our second team, which is a great step. Clara Schöne has done a very good job there and has now joined the coaching staff of the first team in order to gain experience with a professional team. She has been with Bayern for many years and knows the club very well. She has a great rapport with the players, and the teamwork is excellent. We don't just want to develop players, but also our coaches. I've already worked with Kjetil at Brann and have known him for many years. He makes me a better coach. The way he recognises details in the game is simply brilliant.”

There was also a notable new addition to the team squad. Unfortunately, Lena Oberdorf got injured with Germany and is the second major loss before the season after Katharina Naschenweng. How do you deal with such setbacks?
“The serious injuries are indeed tough setbacks to take. But setbacks are part of the process. We can also grow from them. In my first summer, Giulia Gwinn and Hanna Glas were out, last year Caro Simon, and now Katharina Naschenweng and Lena Oberdorf. That hurts and halts our process to a certain extent. But they will come back. And until then, we have an excellent team despite the absences.”

There’s a title on the line in the first competitive match of the season. What will be important in the Supercup against Wolfsburg?
“I always want to win, even if I wouldn't put the Supercup on a par with the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup or the Champions League. We won't change our identity and style of play but we will add some aspects. I would’ve liked to have had more time with the whole team. If you don't have enough pre-season time with the full team, you need a bit of time to really get going at the start of the season. It's been like that in the past two seasons. The calendar doesn't allow it any other way. But we’ll go into this game with full motivation. We’re looking forward to the support of our fans. They are a big part of our success and our identity. We had a great end to the season together at Hoffenheim, and now we can start the new season together.”

Previewing Sunday’s inaugural Supercup against Wolfsburg: