Arsenal Women have completed the signing of Bayern Munich player and Austrian national team captain Viktoria Schnaderbeck. Viki’s contract had expired with the Frauen Bundesliga side.
Viki spent 11 years at Bayern, winning 2 Frauen Bundesligas in her time at the club. She is primarily a defender, but is also capable of playing in midfield.
Arsenal Boss Joe Montemurro told Arsenal.com; “Viki is a very experienced player. She has played in the Champions League and against the leading teams in European football for many years now.
“As captain of her national team, she brings a wealth of qualities to our side and we’re looking forward to welcoming her into the team when she joins us for the new season.”
Viki told Arsenal.com, “I’m really happy to take this chance and have a new experience in my future. I’m really happy to start.
“Arsenal has a big history in women’s football and I’ve had a good feeling right from the first moment about it. They have really good players, a good team and the staff around. It’s just everything that’s convinced me to join Arsenal.
“I had a talk with Joe and I knew that he was a coach who could make a difference to the team. I think there will be big steps made in the future as well, and I just felt comfortable talking with him and also with his idea of football. I think that’s very important too.”
Arsenal will add more players during the summer window, likely from the Bundesliga.
Woo-hoo! Know nothing about her, but she looks like a strong character. Right age, right level of experience and replaces Henning, I assume?
Keep them coming, AWFC…
We lost Sampson, Rose and Henning in one fell swoop, so we certainly need some CBs! (Though Viki can play in midfield too).
Tim, do you by any chance know if there are firm plans to use players like Kuyken, James, Cooke, Ngunga and Filbey in the first team this coming season?
Sylvain Jamet from Daily Cannon blog was saying that we are probably going to lose another batch of our best youngsters to US college football. Which would be awful.
Cooke is definitely going to the US from what I have heard, but not sure about the others. Arsenal are in discussions with the FA about changing the rulings here, because we lose them for free and it keeps happening. We are not allowed to offer pro contracts to girls until they turn 18, so until then, we’re vulnerable.
There are at least 2 more coming in from the Bundesliga, possibly 3, which should be announced fairly soon too.
Exciting times for the club.
As for the players going to the US, how long will they be there for? Will we be able to sign them back? Eg: Lotte Wubben-Moy.
We can sign them back one day, but there’s not an arrangement or anything. Most of them go on scholarship for 3-4 years. I think Lotte might come back when she’s done out there- she has intimated that she would like to and still comes back and watches games when she’s in the UK.
Perhaps we could start a scheme – pay them a sort of retainer on top of their scholarship money and effectively loan them out for a few years, but with an option to take them back after they graduate from their original course.
You’re actually not allowed to loan them when they’re not on a contract (ie, when they’re under 18). Another thing Arsenal are lobbying to change.
Good to hear that about Wubben-Moy. Fingers crossed.
https://www.ourgamemag.com/2018/05/24/the-fas-new-dual-career-program/ Interesting on just that point. In an attempt to get the girls to stay, the FA will no longer cover costs when they fly from the US to the UK for international duty.
Is the age limit the same as for boys? Because if not, it’s a gender equality issue as well.
So Tabea Kemme and Lia Waelti, you said? And possibly one more after that?
Yes, those two are pretty definite. They were looking at Linda Dallman, but not sure anything came of it.
Cheers, Tim.
Is Sven applying his experience to the ladies team too?
Exciting, she really impressed me in the Euros last year. I believe she was in the midfield for the matches I saw.
Yep, she was. She was even more impressive considering she wasn’t fully fut for the tournament.
In austria there was a huge hype around the womens team after the euros, and besides playing well she also represented the team well off the field in tv shows and with the media. Should be good to add an experienced player who seems like a strong and positive personality as well
agree 100%! she seems like a very intelligent, eloquent and down to earth woman.
As an austrian i can tell you she is top class! First Austrian at Arsenal since Alex Maninnger! Now get Feiersinger too!