National team captain Alexandra Popp was the first woman to be named “Personality of the Year” by the specialist magazine “kicker”.
The 31-year-old goalscorer from double winner VfL Wolfsburg succeeds world footballer Robert Lewandowski in the award, which has been presented annually since 1990.
“She was the face of a great team, she became one of the outstanding players at the European Championship, she stands for the upswing in women’s football in Germany,” the “kicker” editors explained their choice.
“When I heard that I was voted Personality of the Year, I asked myself: What have I done? I played football and actually I was just myself,” said Popp, who represented Germany at the European Championships in England had scored six goals in the final last summer – and because of an injury experienced the 1-2 after extra time in the final against the hosts as a spectator.
Voss-Tecklenburg praises “extraordinary personality”
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg paid tribute to the award winner: “She is an extraordinary personality. It was a very special year for ‘Poppi’. For me, however, she also represents everything that happened in women’s football in 2022 and what great development it has taken Has.”
After suffering a cartilage tear in her knee in April 2021, Popp’s participation in the EM had been questionable for a long time. “It wasn’t the nicest thing for me that I played at the European Championships, but the fact that I could be there at all,” said the attacker in retrospect.