Pauline Bremer joined a Brighton team that had just finished second-bottom in the English Women’s Super League two weeks after making the final attempt of the 2023 Champions League final, failing to defeat Barcelona’s Sandra Panos as Wolfsburg sought an equalizer in vain.
Bremer signed a two-year contract in June, leaving the Bundesliga for Brighton’s seafront in pursuit of a change of scenery. The 27-year-old was drawn in by manager Melissa Phillips’ innovative vision, upward trajectory, and master plan, which she unveiled at the tail end of the previous season.
The clinical forward, who has a wealth of experience from playing for teams like Turbine Potsdam, Manchester City, Lyon, and Wolfsburg, wants to fill in the gaps in Brighton’s attack in an effort to lift the team above its 11th-place result from the previous year.
Bremer was Phillips’ first acquisition during what has turned out to be one of the WSL teams’ more promising hiring periods. International players with extensive experience and eager new potential have both arrived, while other important players have stayed on the south coast.
“I think it is a really good project to be involved in, and I was looking for a new challenge,” Bremer told 90min. “I enjoyed my stay in Wolfsburg. I used to play for teams that competed for championships; now we have a foundation on which to build. To enter a situation, create something, and establish myself as a leader on the field is a good challenge for me.
For a large portion of last season, Brighton was stuck in a relegation struggle. After years of stability under Hope Powell’s watchful eye, Phillips became the club’s fourth manager in 2022–2023 alone. With seven points after Phillips’ arrival in April, Brighton finished one spot ahead of Reading, which was demoted.
Bremer was drawn to the club, nevertheless, by the concept of what Brighton hoped to create. All of the most recent acquisitions have cited Phillips’ transformation of the ailing team at the close of the previous season and throughout the summer as a major reason for the club’s expanding popularity.
Bremer admitted, “We were talking for a while. “Everyone I spoke with, including the manager and the board, were compelling. They had information about how they intended to develop the team. The facilities are excellent and speak for themselves; we have everything we need to establish a big club.
Bremer ranked Brighton’s infrastructure higher than some of her former, ostensibly loftier employers, even though women’s football development has long been a preoccupation for the conventional elite. We had great facilities at Wolfsburg and Manchester City, she continued. Brighton is a step farther; everything, including the spa and other amenities, is a little bit larger. How to use them is equally important.
After spending £8.5 million on top-notch facilities for the women’s team, the Seagulls relocated into the cutting-edge American Express Elite Football Performance Centre in 2021.
Bremer may face a fresh task in Brighton, but he is not completely unfamiliar with the WSL. The former Manchester City forward, who played for the Sky Blues from 2017 to 2020, maintains that the league has already been completed. She was lured back to England, though, in part because of the division’s reputation for professionalism.
Regarding her time in Manchester, Bremer remarked, “I don’t really look back too much. “I like to look ahead, and the WSL is a really good league to play in because it is so professional and competitive, which is also why I chose this club because it is so professional,” the player said.
Bremer has not yet played for the Seagulls, but she has already embraced the organization’s long-term goals, which Phillips has instilled in her team.
We aim to be among the top four teams in the WSL, and we understand that getting there will take time, Bremer said. Naturally, we want to score as many points as we can. We aim for the top half of the table, but it won’t happen overnight.
The brilliant forward’s primary concentration is on Brighton, but this move will also affect her aspirations for the national squad. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has not chosen the German international with 21 caps since 2020.
The national team is always a great honor, of course. But right now, all of my attention is on the club; everything else will come, added Bremer. “I spoke with the coach of the national team about [coming Brighton], and she was incredibly pleased about the decision as she is aware of how difficult the league is. The coaches of the German National Team will watch the matches, and perhaps I can rejoin the group.
Bremer’s exile from the national team is the result of a series of injuries that necessitated 13 months of recuperation at Manchester City before she was included in a transfer with Lyon that resulted in Lucy Bronze’s return.
Bremer declared, “I don’t want to be that wounded player any longer. “Having a complete preseason allowed me to really get in shape. I’m feeling fantastic right now. I’m trouble-free, and I hope things stay that way.
On the opening weekend, Brighton will play Everton, and the new addition will be hoping to shine as the Seagulls start their quest to climb the WSL standings.
