Ramona Bachmann is the Houston Dash's new player.
Ramona Bachmann, the Swiss national team captain, made her debut for the Houston Dash on April 27, 2024, three weeks after joining the team.
Facing the Utah Royals marked her first appearance with her new squad. The midfielder is an accomplished forward known for her speed, skill, and ability to create scoring opportunities.
With her experience and talent, she can bring creativity, dynamism, and goal-scoring prowess to the Dash squad.
Her expectations likely revolve around making significant contributions to the team's success, both on and off the field, by utilizing her strengths to help secure victories and elevate the team's performance in the league.
Context
On Wednesday, April, 3, both the Houston Dash and Paris Saint-Germain confirmed the successful transfer of Ramona Bachmann to the NWSL with a contract tying the Swiss player to Houston until the 2026 season.
After she arrived in Space City, I conducted an interview with the former PSG midfielder, discussing her time in the French capital, her motivations for joining the NWSL, and the role she anticipates playing in the Dash squad.
Unsatisfied With Her Playing Time At PSG
The Swiss international (142 caps, 58 goals) has been a key figure for PSG since the summer of 2020, making 103 appearances and scoring 21 goals across all competitions.
Reflecting on her time with the Parisian club, Bachmann expressed her enjoyment, stating, "To be honest, I had a great time. I loved playing for such a great club, the fanbase is amazing, and the quality on the team was really, really high. So, of course, it was hard to say bye and to leave PSG, but it was the right timing for me."
However, at the start of the 2023/2024 season, Bachmann experienced a shift in her role, often finding herself on the bench with reduced playing minutes — a situation she found disheartening.
Ramona Bachmann joined PSG in the summer of 2020. (Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
"My decision to leave was obviously linked to my playing time. I was not satisfied with my playing time anymore."
A managerial decision she did not understand as they’ve repetitively told her that "they’re satisfied with my performances and that I’m playing at my highest level, training at my highest level, but I didn’t get rewarded. At one point it got really tough for me and I lost my motivation."
For the Swiss international, "when I feel like I’m really performing and I’m still not getting rewarded [with the playing time], that’s when it gets tough."
The Good And The Bad
Ramona Bachmann won the D1 Arkéma with PSG in 2021. Irene Paredes (L), Barca's current player, was ... [+]
When questioned about her most memorable moment at PSG, Bachmann didn’t hesitate much. The answer seemed obvious.
"It must be the first league title ever in the history of PSG. it’s always special to win a title with a club, but when you know that this club has been trying to win this title for many years, it’s special."
Despite being founded in 1971, a year after the foundation of the men’s soccer team, PSG’s success in women’s soccer is minimal when comparing it with Lyon’s, their rivals.
At the dawn of the 2012-2013 season, the arrival of QSI, the new Qatari owner of PSG, boosted the team’s ambitions. The Qataris announce their desire to professionalize the women's team and to end Lyon’s reign.
The team finished often finished second (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020), and winning the D1 Arkéma seemed like a hard-to-get dream. Lyon’s domination, both locally and in Europe, was impressive.
Nevertheless, in the 2020/2021 season, they eventually clinched the D1 Arkema title, with Bachmann making significant contributions.
Reflecting on this achievement, she remarked, "Winning the league in my first year with PSG, and the cup in my second season was very successful. I achieved everything I could possibly achieve in France and I’m happy with that."
What about her worst memory? Well, Lyon appears again. "It is definitely the loss against Lyon in the Champions League, in the semifinal. I needed that champions league trophy. It’s the only trophy I didn’t win."
A Redemption In The NWSL?
Ramona Bachmann made her debut for Houston Dash against Utah Royals.
When Bachmann began to doubt her ability to regain Jocelyn Prêcheur's trust and reclaim her position in PSG's starting eleven, the decision to depart became increasingly apparent.
"Leaving PSG was not an easy decision, but I had to study my options and this was the best one."
For a world-class player like her, the choices were considerably many but she opted for another chance in the NWSL with the Houston Dash. She believes the club offered her the best platform for furthering her career and achieving her goals.
"The interest was really, really strong. They [The Dash] showed interest. Second of all, the league [NWSL] is growing, there’s a hype around the league, and a lot of world class players are coming here."
The contract that the Dash offered also attired Bachmann’s attention. "Im 33 years old. They offered me a 3-year contract. Not many clubs do that. I don’t know why but they don’t do it for older players."
But that was not it. Fran Alonso’s game philosophy also convinced Bachmann to join his squad.
"I had a discussion with the coach [Alonso], he’s Spanish. He told me how he wants to play and I think his game ideas, the way he wants the team to play, fits my playing style."
"I’m just going to try to be myself. I want to try to help the team as much as possible and hopefully we’ll have a good season."
Adapting To Life In Houston
The life of a soccer player is inherently unpredictable. One moment you're celebrating victories and leading your club to titles, and the next, you're bidding farewell, embarking on a new journey, and preparing for fresh challenges.
For Ramona Bachmann, her latest challenge awaited her 8,081 kilometers away from Paris, in Houston.
Although her transfer to the Houston Dash was officially announced on April 3rd, she had to navigate through Visa and FIFA regulations before making her debut.
This offered her enough time to adapt to her new life, and fortunately, she found unwavering support from her wife, Charlotte Baret, throughout this transitional phase, easing the adjustment process and enabling her to focus on her new chapter with the Dash.
"She [Charlotte] has been everything. She has done most of our move, to be honest. She’s been such a big help. I’ve done this move many times but this has been the easiest. Having her made everything easier. I also felt home faster. I did not come back to an empty hotel room. I had everything set out already, the apartment, the furniture, it was all ready. It’s the toughest part when you change clubs, but she’s made it easy for me."
Born and raised in France, Charlotte Baret crossed paths with Ramona Bachmann in the capital city of the country while the Swiss was a PSG player.
Years later, in December 2023, they knotted the knot. Leaving Paris alone was not an option for Dash’s new midfielder.
"It was important that my wife was up for this [joining the Dash]. It was important for me to stay together. It was impossible for me to be in a long-distance relationship. I’m happy that my family is happy too."
Alternating Between The Wing And The #10 Position
Considered one of the women’s game’s most technical players with an impressive touch of a ball and dribbling skills, Ramona Bachmann is expected to bring in her experience and her European style.
Often used by her former clubs either on the wing or as a pure playmaker in midfield, Ramona believes her role in the Dash squad will be identical, especially with Alonso’s possession approach.
"Yeah, I think my role will be similar to what I was doing with PSG and the national team. I’m most comfortable as a 10 or as a winger who comes in deep. The NWSL is much physical, it’s more transitional."
"We [Dash] are trying to change it with our playing style, but of course, it will take time and after it, I hope we’ll show another style of football."
On the arrival of a wave of European players to the NWSL with Deyna Castellanos and Asisat Oshoala among others, Ramona said: "It’s very interesting. The NWSL noticed that European football is growing extremely fast so they needed to keep that link going."
"People in the US are crazy about football, so yeah, it’s nice to see how they’re working on raising the level even more. It will be a very interesting league."
Unsatisfied With The French League’s Lack Of Development
Ramona Bachmann and Switzerland will host the 2025 Euro next summer. (Photo by Lukas Schulze - ... [+]
While women’s soccer is rapidly developing in the world, France hasn’t met the expectations and is losing its position as one of Europe’s most entertaining leagues.
The clubs’ investments are minimal, the stadiums are often empty and the federation’s marketing plan isn’t paying its fruits yet.
In her 4 years in the D1 Arkéma, Bachmann was "frustrated to not be seeing a development. In PSG, I’ve seen the progression with the new training facilities."
“But the league in general, they’re not doing anything. It’s been the same conditions as they were when I arrived. Playing games in front of 200 people is really frustrating. They have to invest in marketing and bringing players in.”
A factor that facilitated her move to the US top-tier league.
“The NWSL is a very competitive league. In France, you don’t have that. You have Lyon and PSG. Here you don’t know who is going to win. I’m also excited to be playing in front of big crowds in big stadiums, it won’t feel like a friendly sometimes.”
Euro 2025 On Home Soil: Crucial For Swiss Women’s Soccer?
Ramona Bachmann is Switzerland's star player. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
In the summer of 2022, England won the Euro at Wembley in what looked like the start of a new era for English soccer.
For the Euro 2025, Switzerland will have the honor of hosting. And, at 34 years old, this could be Bachmann’s last big competition.
While she will, from now on, call the States her new home, she is expected to fly across the globe to join the Swiss national team camps. But the veteran seems to have thought thoroughly about this.
"Of course, one of the negatives are the longer travels but it’s manageable. The national team will adapt. They [the Swiss national team staff] will probably have to give me an extra day or two to adapt, but yeah, I’m definitely going to play the Euros. I will have to take care of my body, but I can manage it."
How can she not?
"It will be a home Euros. It doesn’t get any better than this!"
One Last Dance In The Swiss League?
Before finishing the interview, I couldn’t but ask Bachmann about the possibility of returning to Switzerland to retire with a local club.
An option that Houston’s new midfielder did not put off the table.
"I have always said that it could be a possibility. The Swiss league is way behind. But now I’m excited for hosting the Euros and I hope we’ll do better than what France did after hosting the World Cup."
"Switzerland will always be a league where they develop talents instead of it being a league where the talents head to. But they have to invest in it: have better stadiums, better referees, better contracts, everything has to be better."
"I’m hopeful that this could happen and who knows, maybe at the end of my career, it’ll be a possibility to finish my career in my country. I left at a young age to play professionally and it could be nice."
