Between FCB, VfB and the national team: The impressive rise of Luzie Zähringer

With all the travelling she's been doing of late, Luzie Zähringer has hardly had a moment to catch her breath. First Hungary with the Germany U19s, then national coach Christian Wück's surprise late call-up to the senior side. From Karlsruhe, she travelled with the Germany squad to Bremen, and now her journey takes her once again to Munich. On Monday evening (18:00 CEST), the 18-year-old will face FC Bayern Women – the very club with whom she extended her contract until 2029 in May and from whom she's on a season-long loan at VfB Stuttgart.

These are eventful times for a young player who is navigating them with remarkable confidence. On Monday, Zähringer will not be taking to the pitch in the familiar red of FC Bayern, but sporting the red chest ring of VfB Stuttgart. Much else, however, will feel familiar to her: the paths around the Campus, the training pitches, the changing rooms and the people who have been part of her journey so far. “I’m really looking forward to the match, to seeing everyone again and returning to Munich for a short while. This clash is, of course, something very special for me.”

It marks the return of a player whose development over the past two years has been almost like watching a time-lapse film. In the summer of 2024, Zähringer moved from the FSV Waiblingen youth team to Munich. It was a big move that would soon pay off. At FCB, she was carefully nurtured, developed rapidly and even made her Bundesliga debut last November. She's now on loan in her home city of Stuttgart so she can play regularly at a high level. Her rise has been rapid. But it didn’t come out of nowhere.

A year in Stuttgart, the future in Munich

Over the past two years, Zähringer featured mainly for the FC Bayern Women reserves. She made 38 of her 43 competitive appearances to date in the Women’s Bundesliga 2, where she grew into a leadership role and took on responsibility. Since July, she's been gaining Bundesliga experience despite her young age: she's been in the starting XI for all six of VfB’s matches. “It’s important for me and a great opportunity to get some game time. I believe that’s the only way to keep developing.”

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That's why the loan move to VfB isn't a detour, but a deliberate step in her development. “The step up from the second to the first tier is a significant one. The game is faster and more intense, and the standard is higher. Small mistakes are punished immediately,” says Zähringer.

Jérôme Reisacher, who guided her for over two years as head coach of the FC Bayern Women reserves witnessed her development first hand. “As a coach, I'm incredibly proud of Luzie. The fact that she's made the leap into the Bundesliga is a fantastic achievement and by no means a given. Not only I, but also my entire coaching staff and the whole club are delighted for her. Luzie is an exceptional talent who works hard on her game with great ambition and an enormous drive to improve. If she maintains this focus, stays injury-free and continues to be given the opportunity to play regularly, I’m convinced many doors will remain open to her. How far she ultimately goes will be down to her.” Reisacher’s image of open doors fits with Zähringer’s journey so far. She's rarely stood still for long when faced with an opportunity. More often than not, she'd already stepped into the next room before others even realised how quickly she was making progress.

Experience in her home town

For Zähringer, VfB is more than just a stop along the way. She was born and raised in Stuttgart; her family have always been big VfB fans – and regular trips to the stadium have always been part of that. So the jersey she's now wearing is not merely a work uniform. It connects her to a city where her football journey began.

Considering they're a newly promoted side, the Stuttgart women have performed remarkably well so far. Three promotions in four years took VfB to the Bundesliga, where they're sitting mid-table with eight points after six matches. Stuttgart demonstrated early on that they intend to establish themselves in the top flight. “We got off to a very good start and picked up a lot of points, which could help us as the season progresses. Now we need to build on that,” says Zähringer. On Monday, however, they face the league leaders. For the centre-back, the match will therefore be both a reunion and a test of her mettle. “We need to keep things tight, give Bayern as little space as possible and keep a clean sheet for as long as we can. At the same time, we want to be bold going forward. It’ll be a difficult match. We know that a lot of things need to come together if we’re to cause them problems.”

The phone call everyone dreams of

The 18-year-old already has her sights set on the Women’s Bundesliga’s first “Südschlager”, or southern clash. Yet there would be every reason for her to take some time to process her first experiences with the senior Germany side. The call from the national team coach was a special moment – but it hasn’t changed her focus. She didn’t receive the news at the stadium or on the training ground, but whilst out for a walk with Marie Gmeineder. Last season, both were still playing for the FC Bayern Women reserves. Now they’ve made it into the Bundesliga – albeit in different places: Zähringer in Stuttgart, Gmeineder on loan at SV Werder Bremen in the north of Germany.

“I received a call telling me I'd get another call and should pick up quickly because it would be urgent. Shortly afterwards, I was on the phone with Christian Wück,” says Zähringer. The phone call came at short notice. The developments that had led up to it, however, had been foreseeable for a long time. Zähringer progressed through the Germany youth teams from the U15s to the U19s. In 2025, she was awarded the Fritz Walter Gold Medal – as the best female German youth player of her age group. So her rise had not been a slow one. It was just the final step that came suddenly.

Shortly afterwards, her journey took her from Hungary to Karlsruhe. Despite it being her first time with the squad, she came across a few familiar faces. “While with the national team, I also met up with Franzi [Franziska Kett], Klara [Bühl], Ena [Mahmutovic] and Linda [Dallmann] again and chatted with them a lot. Franzi and Ena in particular really helped me settle in quickly. That was lovely. They also messaged me as soon as they found out I’d been called up as a late replacement.”

Even though she’s yet to make her debut in Germany colours, the training camp offered Zähringer more than just a chance to catch up with familiar faces. “Those days were invaluable to me. I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity. I was able to get a taste of day-to-day life, familiarise myself with the routines, meet new teammates and get to know the whole coaching staff.”

Between her past and her future

For the 18-year-old, the stops on her journey are coming thick and fast: Waiblingen, Munich, Stuttgart, the U19s, the senior national team. There’s a common thread running through it all: she wants to play, learn and improve. That will be the case on Monday too. Perhaps then she’ll forget for a moment that she’s back. Perhaps she’ll remember where she started out. On the pitch, however, nothing will be handed to her on a plate – and she won’t want to give anything away. Zähringer will be reunited with FC Bayern, whilst at the same time striving to make her mark with VfB. For the 18-year-old, it will be a clash between her past and her future. There, on the pitch at the FC Bayern Campus, it will become clear on Monday just how far she has already come. And perhaps also just how far she can still go.

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