European Football Championship
Goalkeeper Berger: For the grandpa to the European Championship final
Ann-Katrin Berger had to hear a lot of criticism for her risky game as a German regular keeper at the European Championship. The Olympic heroine has therefore not lost serenity and humor.
Savior or risk factor? Anyone who has had a long football career and two cancer in their life cannot be driven on by public criticism. National goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger smiled calmly into the many cameras at the DFB press conference in Zurich. And told why she absolutely has to reach the European Championship final with the German footballers.
“Since I left Germany, I actually no longer read news. I am not represented that often on social media anyway. Whatever is written, you have to tell me that,” said the 34-year-old from the US club Gotham FC to the media representatives.
In the quarter-finals of the DFB selection against favorite France on Saturday (9:00 p.m./ZDF and DAZN) in Basel, a lot will be important to the regular keeper. And Berger hopes for personal reasons to survive the first knockout round with the DFB team.
“Quarter -finals, semi -finals are not worth it”
“My grandpa – he turned 92 a few days ago – really put on a jersey. My motivation is that he was coming to the final. He said quarter -finals, the semi -finals are not worth it,” said the Schwäbin. “So I have my very own motivation to make him proud.”
The “very, very strict and lovable man” was against Poland in the first group game of the German selection in St. Gallen (2-0). However, he opposes all attempts to persuade his prominent granddaughter to come against France: “He is really serious. He actually only comes to the final. He is a hard nut.”
From your grandpa, Berger always gets a thumb and thumbs-down sign after games. National coach Christian Wück had recently chosen the latter. In the 2024 Olympics, the Schwäbin was still the great heroine, among other things due to the penalty held against Spain in the stoppage time of the bronze game, but also with gate templates.
At the European Championship: Berger made three risky dribbling in the 2-1 against Denmark. That stayed without consequences – on the square. Apart from that, his displeasure did not hide: he will “sit down at the table with her, that we have to find other solutions – because otherwise I will not get old”.
Against Sweden “not my best game”
Berger defended himself with the words: “I love playing football, and I think that’s just my way.” Wück did not want to continue the topic: “We never had a goalkeeper debate.” Then he had to see, as Berger almost further misjudged with two false passes in the 1: 4 against Sweden.
“I didn’t have my best game either. After the analysis, I did it, I don’t think much about it anymore. I’m now focusing on France,” said the 25-time international. However, she was gueste at the five tournament bundes so far.
Berger fights twice against thyroid cancer
Berger had to wait a long time before she got to the top of the German team. She had dared to go abroad early on: Paris Saint-Germain, Birmingham City, Chelsea, then USA. “It is a very, very nice feeling to appear at a tournament as number one,” she said in Zurich. In 2017 and 2022 she had to struggle with thyroid cancer, but quickly found it back into competitive sports.
For a long time, the DFB selection had goalkeepers who stood between the posts for years: Silke Rottenberg, Nadine Angerer, Almuth Schult, Merle Frohms. The latter degraded national coach Horst Hrubesch before the 2024 Olympic Games to number 2 and promoted Berger.
Until yet, replacement goalkeepers have not convinced
Of course, a successor is already looking for a successor for the Olympic heroine, even if Berger does not want to think about a career end: “I am a person who lives in the here and now.”
The European Championship replacement women Stina Johannes and Ena Mahmutovic have not been imposed on their missions anyway. Sophia Winkler suffered a cruciate ligament tear in DFB training, Maria Luisa Grohs lost her regular place at Bayern to Mahmutovic after cancer. And Frohms said goodbye to the national team and migrated from Wolfsburg to Real Madrid.
Wide smile for the grandpa at the hymn
Berger continues to show a wide smile when the cameras are aimed at them at the national anthem before international matches – for their grandpa. He may have “not so much idea of football”, but it is important to him. “That’s why I got used to laughing at the hymn at some point. Some probably think that this is a bit crazy,” said the goalkeeper. “But I would do everything for my grandpa.”
dpa
Source: Stern
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