Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
Related Articles
The Eintracht Frankfurt U-20 Women’s coaching team will have two new faces on July 1 with Friederike Kromp will take over as head coach of the second division team and Julia Simic will assist her as assistant coach. Both will receive a two-year contract.
After Carlos Pereira and Andreas Arr-You took over the U-20s on an interim basis until the end of the season, two coaches who have already worked together successfully with the German youth national teams will follow from the summer. Friederike Kromp will also take over the newly created position of women’s youth coordinator, coordinating the interfaces between the first team and youth teams with regard to an overall strategy in Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth women’s football.
Friederike “Fritzy” Kromp has already coached the Bavarian women’s national teams from U-13 to U-15 since 18 and has been on the sidelines for 26 games of the German U17 national team, with whom she collected the European Championship title three times as assistant coach and in 2022 as head coach. The 38-year-old, who in 2011 was one of only two women in her age group to complete the football coaching course with a UEFA Pro licence – the highest coaching licence – and is currently coaching the German U-16 juniors.
Julia Simic, who will also take over the position of assistant coach at Eintracht, has been at her side as an assistant coach since July 2021 and is thus also involved in the 2022 European Championship title. The 33-year-old B licence holder ended her professional career in 2021, in which she won the DFB-Pokal a total of four times with Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg before playing abroad for West Ham United and AC Milan.
“We had very good conversations from the very first second. In terms of content, I am totally convinced of the task that awaits me here and I am very much looking forward to starting in July,” explains Friederike Kromp. “Through my work as youth coach, I have had a close connection to Eintracht in recent years, where there have always been many talents, but never as many as there are now. That’s why I know how much there is in the players and I’m looking forward to taking them to the next level here. Our goal is to accompany, support and individually mentor the young players, who are incredibly ambitious, so that they can achieve their goals. I was also convinced by the fact that, as a junior coordinator, I have the opportunity to help shape and participate. Together with all those responsible in the youth sector, I would like to put together something great with the dovetailing of the U17s, third team, but also the first team. I see an incredible amount of potential.”
Julia Simic said, “I’ve known Fritzy for almost 20 years, was first a player under her and then took my first steps as a coach under and with her. During this time, we realized that the constellation simply fits. We share a lot of views, but we can also have a good discussion about football. At the end of the day, the focus is always on the player for both of us, that’s the basis of our work. I’ve noticed in recent weeks and months that I’d like to get back into club football so that I can work with the players on the pitch every day. Added to this are the very good conditions that await us here at Eintracht. A lot has already happened here and there is still a lot to be done. To be part of it and to be part of the way excites me.”
Sporting director Markus Krösche explained: “Our youth as a foundation is extremely important for the future of women’s football at Eintracht, which is why it is also a big and very important step for us to be able to sign both of them. Fritzy and Julia have a lot of experience in working with young talent. Both are full of energy and are looking forward to the task here in order to further advance the next generation.”
Technical Director Katharina Kiel said: “The signing of Fritzy and Julia shows how important our U20s are for us. With them, we have been able to win over two experts who know every top talent from Germany. We are convinced that with the two of them we will be able to further strengthen our youth team and take the next steps in our entire development in youth football.”
Sporting director Niko Arnautis added: “I’ve known them for a very long time through the Bavarian association and the DFB. They have a lot of experience, especially in the youth sector, so that they can optimally develop our top talents in this area. In the past, we have seen time and again how important our U20s are to enable players to make the leap from youth to the Bundesliga squad. With Fritzy and Julia, our talents can be optimally accompanied and prepared for this step.”
Further appointments to the women’s coaching and staff team will be announced at a later date.
