Nia Künzer, soccer world champion of 2003, will end her work as a soccer expert on ARD after the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Since 2006, the scorer of the golden goal in the final of the 2003 World Cup has accompanied the broadcasts of women’s football games on the first channel.
Nia Künzer experienced many emotional moments full of ups and downs for the German national team and in the women’s DFB Cup, such as the early exit in the quarter-finals at the home World Cup in 2011, the European Championship title in 2013 or the thrilling and suspenseful European Championship final in 2022 In the same way, Nia Künzer, as an expert for the ARD morning show, covered many games of the men’s national team, including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
ARDsports coordinator Balkausky: Künzer a role model
“For 17 years, Nia Künzer shaped our broadcasts of women’s football with her competence, her ability to communicate and her open, friendly manner. It was also particularly valuable for us that she repeatedly highlighted other important topics with which the Football assumes social responsibility. Today it goes without saying that women are used as experts in football programs, but when Nia started on ARD in 2006, she was the only football expert on German television. She was and is a role model for many.” , according to ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky.
The ARD broadcasts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 are a fitting conclusion to Nia Künzer’s long career as an expert on ARD. The tournament begins on Thursday with the opening game New Zealand – Norway, live from 9 a.m. on the Erste and the ARD Mediathek.
Künzer: EM ushered in a new era
“For me, too, the 2023 World Cup is a very long, eventful and beautiful journey together to the final. I remember many highlights in women’s football history, which we broadcast on ARD at prime time with new viewer records time and time again in German living rooms With my ARD work, I was allowed to continue to be part of the development and perception of what is now the most popular team sport among women in the smooth transition after my football career, and last but not least with the outstanding ratings of the EM 2022, professional football for women in ushered in a new era in Europe,” said Nia Künzer.
“In the very long time I have been working exclusively for ARD as an expert, the right moment has now come to find a new temporal balance for my diverse life planning around my family, my professional challenges and for other exciting projects and cooperations At the end of a wonderful collaboration, I would like to say a big thank you to the ARD family, and of course – on behalf of all my colleagues – especially Claus Lufen at the moderator’s table!”
Last appearance as an expert in the 3rd place game
Nia Künzer’s last appearance as an ARD expert is scheduled for August 19, 2023 as part of the live broadcast of the game for third place at the World Cup.