Ahead of the second leg of the final against GC, YB coach Imke Wübbenhorst talks to blue Sport about the chances of winning the title, the two YB figureheads Beney and Luyet and reveals why she had to pump milk during her interval speech in the semi-final.
Qualifying winners YB won the play-off duels against Luzern and FCZ on their way to the championship final. The Bernese lost the first leg against GC, who beat Geneva and then Basel, 0:1 last Sunday. A defeat that YB coach Imke Wübbenhorst found difficult to digest, as she admits in an interview with blue Sport. On Saturday, the Bernese side want to do better in the second leg at home in Wankdorf and celebrate their first league title since 2011.
You lost the first leg 0:1. Has your dad already sent you an analysis?
Imke Wübbenhorst: Unfortunately yes (laughs). He's always very motivated and really excited. He just tries to help and that's why he writes to me. I can handle it very well now.
You have to know that Wübbenhorst's father doesn't have a coaching diploma and yet he always gives his well-intentioned advice without being asked.
You said directly after the first leg: "We had too much respect" and "we lacked conviction in the final third". That sounds like a mental story. Did you do anything special to help the players clear their heads?
We gave the girls a day off on Monday so that they could let it all sink in. I needed that day too. Over the last few days, I've given the players concrete solutions on how we can do better. It doesn't help them if I just say that there was a lack of conviction. I have to show them specifically how we can create more scoring chances. I think that's extremely important so that they go into the game with a good feeling.
What makes you confident that you will lift the trophy on Saturday?
Mental aspects also play a role for the opponent. GC now have something to lose. I also believe that they have lost a lot of energy in the previous games. They're now also coming to unfamiliar territory, to our artificial turf in the Wankdorf, with our spectators. And we've scored the most goals this season - we know where the goal is. So full speed ahead and go into this game with courage.
GC coach João Paiva has said that he also trains penalty kicks. Do you do that too?
Yes, we'll do that too. But I always hope it doesn't get that far, because my poor coach's heart doesn't take it so well.
Assuming you don't win the title, will you be unresponsive for a week? Or does being a mother help you to digest something like that more quickly?
Everyone always says that when you have such a small child and then look into their beaming eyes at home, everything is forgotten. I have to say that wasn't the case after the first leg defeat. I tried my best to laugh with him and be happy in front of him, because the baby just can't understand that. But it was really bothering me. I think I'm too much of a heart and soul coach to say that everything will be fine when I get home.
Speaking of the baby. Is it really true that you had to express milk during the break in the semi-final clash against FCZ?
We are actually always prepared. My mother rides on the team bus, the little one is always happy and doesn't cry. Then he's on the edge of the pitch and gets a bottle. But we had frozen the milk we had brought with us beforehand. And he just didn't want to drink this defrosted, warmed milk. And then the goalkeeping coach came to me and said: 'Imke, your mother is a bit stressed, the little one is hungry but has nothing to eat'.
And then?
And then I said: 'All right'. I had a pumping device with me and quickly put it in and pulled the T-shirt back on. While I was pumping, I talked to the girls as normal, gave them tactical instructions and got them a bit hot. Then I went into the coaches' dressing room, poured the milk into the bottle, gave it to the goalkeeping coach and then he brought it to my mother. So it was just right with those 15 minutes to get everything done.
Iman Beney and Naomi Luyet are two of the biggest Swiss talents in your team, although the latter missed the entire second half of the season. Why doesn't YB give any precise information about Luyet's injury when asked?
I didn't notice that they were making a secret of it. She has some kind of pubalgia. You just don't know how long it will take to recover. That's the stupid thing about an injury like that. She's now doing intervals and change-of-direction runs again and she notices a slight reaction afterwards, but then she's fine again. So I just hope that she can still jump on the train to the European Championships.
But is it out of the question that she'll suddenly appear in the second leg?
I think the focus is on the European Championships and we don't want to take any risks. But if she now says the week went so well and I'm ready for ten minutes, I'm the last person who would want to do without a player like that.
Will Beney and Luyet still be playing for YB next season?
The last word has not yet been spoken. But they both have what it takes to make it in the top European leagues. I wish them the best of luck. Nonetheless, I also know that both of them still have their main areas to work on. They could also take the next steps at YB and then go abroad even stronger. So I don't think that either of these paths would be detrimental to their careers, but would result in something positive for the girls.
