Schmidt to Frankfurt, Odebrecht joins Wolfsburg

Bianca Schmidt will make a summer switch from 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam to fellow UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finalists 1. FFC Frankfurt, while another German international, Viola Odebrecht, is off to VfL Wolfsburg.

At the weekend, Potsdam, aiming for a fourth straight German title, announced that the pair, along with Babett Peter, would not be extending their contracts at the end of the season. Defender Schmidt, 22, has spent her whole senior career at Turbine but will go to Frankfurt on a deal until summer 2015. The three-time European champions have previously signed Simone Laudehr and extended the contracts of Saskia Bartusiak, Sandra Smisek, Kerstin Garefrekes, Melanie Behringer and coach Sven Kahlert.

"It was no easy decision for me to play for 1. FFC Frankfurt," Schmidt said. "But I believe that this move is the next step in my career and I am looking forward to it very much. Frankfurt is a great club, but I am still with all my heart at Turbine.

"My goals are to defend the Bundesliga with the team and reclaim the Champions League trophy. That is important to me and that is what my character is like. I think this is one of the reasons why Frankfurt have signed me."

Potsdam, who won their second European crown in 2010 but lost in last year's decider to Olympique Lyonnais, are preparing for a quarter-final against FC Rossiyanka on 14 and 22 March. Also hoping to end her Turbine career with victory in Munich is midfielder Odebrecht, who returned for a second spell at the club in 2008 from SC 07 Bad Neuenahr.

The 29-year-old has signed a contract at ambitious Wolfsburg until summer 2014. "VfL Wolfsburg's plans convinced me," she said. "The move is the right step in my career to look for a new challenge. I am still hungry for success. The team has the quality to win titles and I want to play my part in that."