The Chicago Red Stars have acquired defender, Maximiliane Rall, from FC Bayern München of the German Frauen-Bundesliga for an undisclosed transfer fee, the club announced today. Rall joins the Red Stars on a one-year contract through 2024, with a mutual option for 2025. Rall will join the club for preseason training pending the approval of her visa.   

“I am really happy and excited to join the Red Stars,” said Rall. “It’s a big thing for a little German girl like me to have the opportunity to play in the USA. I can’t wait to live and play in this crazy sports city, Chicago!” 

“We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Maximiliane to the Red Stars,” said Red Stars president, Karen Leetzow. “Maxi has experience playing at the highest levels of European football, both in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League, and is part of a top 10 FIFA ranked national team. We have no doubt she’ll be able to use that experience to elevate our play on the pitch and help us build a winning culture.”   

Rall is a seasoned defender who played for Bayern München for the past three years. Since joining them 2021, the defender has made 40 appearances with the club, including 26 starts and scored 15 goals with four assists. In Rall’s first season with Bayern München, the team finished the season as the league runner-up, but came back in 2022 to finish at the top of the Frauen-Bundesliga table with only one loss.  

Since joining Bayern München, Rall has had the opportunity to play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League tournament against some of the best clubs in Europe. Rall has 11 appearances on eight starts in the tournament. In October 2022, when Bayern München faced Portuguese side S.L. Benfica, Rall kicked off a comeback for the club by scoring her first goal in the Champions League off a corner kick header.  

On the international level, Rall plays for Germany, who are sixth on FIFA’s international rankings. The defender has four appearances with four starts since 2021 with Germany, including a start in 2022 against the United States Women’s National Team, which Germany one, 2-1.