America calls: National player Rauch leaves Wolfsburg

For now, none of his 169 Bundesliga games will be included: Felicitas Rauch.
IMAGO/Lobeca

Nine years at Turbine Potsdam, then half again at VfL Wolfsburg: now a third club has been added to national player Felicitas Rauch's CV. The 27-year-old left-back joins North Carolina Garage in the financially strong American NWSL with immediate effect. As VfL announced on Wednesday, both parties agreed to terminate the contract, which originally ran until the summer of 2025.

“Feli came to us with the desire to terminate the contractual relationship in order to continue her career in the American professional league,” VfL Wolfsburg's women's football director Ralf Kellermann was quoted as saying in a statement. “We did not take the decision to accede to this request lightly; after all, we are losing a longtime great actor and a great personality. And we wanted to make this career dream possible for her. The economic factor also spoke in favor of this move.”

In America, Rauch will meet Brazil national striker Caroline, who is currently out with a torn cruciate ligament, but will no longer meet American international Emily Fox, who recently moved to Arsenal FC. NCC finished the regular season in third place and lost in the first play-off round to NJ/NY Gotham City (0-2).

A regular place in the national team was lost

Although some Europeans have made money in America – for example the Spaniard Esther, the Swede Hannah Klaas (most recently at FC Bayern) or the Austrian Sarah Bundikum (most recently at 1. FC Köln), Rauch will be the first German. Squad for NWSL Season 2024 In the past, Almuth Schult (Angel City FC), others have ventured across the Atlantic but ended his time there prematurely.

Rauch recently lost his regular spot with the She-Wolves to Nuria. The Spaniard struggled to find his footing. Rauch was out not just because of his own toe injury, but because of his performance. “He's given great performances for a long time, but he's not up to his level at the moment,” VfL coach Tommy Stroud said in mid-November – and sometimes used trained centre-back Dominic Johnson on the left.

Rauch looks back on his time at VfL with positive emotions. “The club felt like a home from day one. With so many football highlights, dreams turned into reality and unforgettable victories, I was able to take great people into my heart during my time at VfL,” a press release read.

In the national team, Hoffenheim's Sarai Linder occupied the left-back position in most recent internationals, a position long reserved for Rauch. It remains to be seen if the 36-time US national team player will be on national coach Horst Hrubesch's radar.