Borussia Dortmund’s handball department has renewed Clara Woltering’s contract for the long term. The former elite player will continue to instruct the Black & Yellow goalkeepers as part of the coaching team.
Since the end of her playing career in the summer of 2019, Clara Woltering has been Borussia Dortmund’s goalkeeper coach. As a former world-class player, she has proved invaluable at passing on her experience and expertise to her successors in the first team. “Clara knows everyone at the club, everyone knows her. She is very much appreciated and respected by everyone,” explains sporting director Andreas Kuno, going on to add: “She has played at the very highest level of the sport, her experience is undisputed. I am happy that Clara has decided to continue to bring this experience to us.”
Woltering, who was named Handballer of the Year in 2009 and 2017, is considered one of the best German handball players of all time. She had a stint at the Black & Yellows during the early stages of her career in 2004. With Bayer Leverkusen, she was a German Cup winner (2002, 2010) and Challenge Cup winner (2005). During her time at ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica, the goalkeeper won the Champions League title in 2012 and 2015. After moving to Dortmund again in the summer of 2015, she shaped a successful period for BVB in the Bundesliga before remaining at the club for her transition into coaching.
“It feels right to extend my contract now and I thank you for the trust placed in me. We have celebrated great success over the past few years and I am proud to be a part of it all. We will go into the new season with two new goalkeepers. As a former player, it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. I am happy that I can continue to work for BVB,” says Woltering.
Head of the handball department, Rupert Thiele, added: “Clara is a really great person. Moreover, she is a real figure of identification, because she is a Black & Yellow through and through. I don’t need to say another word about her sporting competence. For me, it was important that she stays with us. The development of Yara ten Holte alone shows very clearly how successful Clara is in her work and how important she is for us.”