Germany women's team coach Voss-Tecklenburg extends contract

Updated Apr. 3, 2023 7:29 a.m. ET

Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German soccer federation has given national women’s team coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg a contract extension before this summer’s World Cup.

Voss-Tecklenburg and her assistant, Britta Carlson, signed new deals on Monday keeping them in charge until after the 2025 European Championship, the federation said in a statement.

Voss-Tecklenburg, who made 125 appearances as a player for Germany, took over as interim coach from Horst Hrubesch in 2018. At the World Cup the following year, her team lost in the quarterfinals against Sweden, thus missing out on qualification for the Olympic Games.

Last year, Voss-Tecklenburg led Germany to the European Championship final against England, where it lost 2-1 in extra time. Germany captain Alexandra Popp, who had scored in every game up to the final, picked up an injury in the warmup.

“I’d like to thank the federation for the trust they have placed in us,” Voss-Tecklenburg said. “We have big plans for this year’s World Cup on the other side of the world. After the European Championship last year, I’m convinced that our mission is not over yet. We will continue working hard to further strengthen the skills of each individual player and the team as a whole to achieve the greatest possible success in the upcoming tournaments.”

The World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20. Two-time world champion Germany is in a group with Morocco, Colombia and South Korea. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports