We are excited to announce Catharina Schimpf’s appointment as our new Sporting Director. Since 1 September, she has been responsible for the sporting direction, development, and professionalisation of our team, with the goal of guiding us to the National League, the “Bundesliga”.
Catharina Schimpf approaches the challenge with great confidence: “The potential of FC Viktoria Berlin is already there. Now it’s about building on the foundation and achieving our ambitious goals. This task brings me great joy.”
Credit: Kai Heuser, @heuserkampf
Catharina is now responsible for coordinating training and match operations, squad planning and game strategies, as well as advancing talent development. The Rostock native draws on her extensive experience in German women’s football. As a player, she represented various teams, including FFV Neubrandenburg and Hamburger SV, in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga. In 2010, she moved to Oberliga club Bramfelder SV, where she gained her first experience as a coach while still an active player, helping to build a high-performance girls football department. Catharina, who holds a qualification in project management services, is best known for her recent role as Women's Football Coordinator at Hamburger SV. From 2018 to 2024, she developed and established one of the most successful women's departments in Germany: several junior national players were trained, titles such as the German B-Juniorinnen Championship were won, and the women’s team was promoted from the Oberliga to the 2nd Bundesliga. These successes drive her new role with us in the capital.
“I have been working for years to create the structures and visibility for women and girls in football so that it will be possible to play on equal terms in the future. This also includes the opportunity to fully focus on the sport as a professional football player. There’s still a long way to go. But I’m excited to move forward on this path together with FC Viktoria Berlin.”
The 34-year-old Schimpf takes over from our head coach Dennis Galleski, who had temporarily assumed the role of Sporting Director after co-founder Ariane Hingst stepped down as Managing Sports Director earlier this year for personal reasons.
Our co-founder and Managing Director Lisa Währer looks forward to working closely with the new Sporting Director: “We are thrilled to have secured Catharina Schimpf, a true expert, for this crucial position. At both Bramfelder SV and, most recently, Hamburger SV, she made significant contributions to the development of girls' and women's football. We are fully convinced that with her extensive management experience, network, and innovative vision for German women’s football, Catharina will play a key role in helping us on our own path to successful professional football.”
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