Interview with comeback
Bayern keeper talks about tumor fight: “roller coaster ride”
17.02.2025 – 11:21 a.m.Reading time: 4 min.
Bayern goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs is currently working on her comeback after a tumor. Now she has spoken about the fight with the disease for the first time.
She is back on the pitch again, albeit not for the first team: twice, Maria Luisa (called Mala) was able to guard the goal again for the second team of the Bayern women. She kept her box clean twice.
After a tumor disease, the actual stammer goalkeeper of the Munich women is currently working on her return to the squad of the first team. Last year, a malignant tumor in the almond had had to be surgically removed. Now the 23-year-old speaks for the first time about her time of suffering.
On Bavarian Radio, Grohs, together with Bayern President Herbert Hainer, was a guest on the program “Blickpunkt Sport”. “It was really this roller coaster ride,” Grohs described her struggle with the disease with still clearly visible scar on the neck. At first she did not know for a long time which disease it was, since she was very rare and was therefore not first searched for in the examinations.
“It was long searched for what the origin is now because it also depends on the therapy,” said Grohs. When the diagnosis was determined, she had to learn what the therapy looks like. “This picture was created at first: I have a cancer diagnosis, I may have to be in therapy, in chemotherapy, radiation. These are everything that has been heard and knows and also connects something,” reported Grohs from their expectations.
In the end, however, only an operation was necessary to defeat the disease. However, Grohs did not describe the moment when the doctors informed her as exclusively: “I always imagined this day very positively and of course it was. I felt almost worse at the moment, “she said.
“I was very prepared that very uncomfortable, bad things are waiting for me and at that moment it was said: No, you don’t need that. You’re done. And I thought: Okay, that’s too little. To this disease To defeat it is too little, “Grohs described her feelings. Only after a while she was able to build trust in this procedure.
However, Grohs did not feel severe fear of death during her illness: “I did not consciously have this moment when I thought: Oh god, that can really take my life.” This was mainly due to the fact that the doctors had well informed them. “I had a lot of trust from the start and knew that we have everything under control,” said Grohs.
That is why Grohs played football for some time after the diagnosis. She followed the treatment plan and always simply went to the next appointment, she said about her situation after the diagnosis. “In between, I tried to do things that do me good. This also includes playing football,” said the goalkeeper. “I think that was very important and a good remedy for fear.”
Her teammates stayed at their side even in the period after the operation, visited them in the hospital or cheered them on when Grohs visited them on the club premises. “You found the right words when I needed it, or just one or the other hug or what just lacked,” said Grohs.
She also got help from FC Bayern. Among other things, the club extended its contract early. For club president Hainer, a matter of course: “First of all, I have to say, the news was shocking and frankly, I am still going goosebumps when I hear the stories,” he said. “I think it makes FC Bayern Munich to help people when they are in difficulties. No matter whether fault or through no fault of their own,” he described the club philosophy. It is “involved in our DNA near Bayern Munich” to see in such a situation as to help.