DFB star had serious injury
Oberdorf about “Life outside of football”
04/19/2025 – 11:58 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Lena Oberdorf had to do without football for a few months. The national player used this to get to know herself better.
Last year, DFB star Lena Oberdorf suffered a cruciate ligament tear. The 23-year-old missed the Olympic Games in Paris and also the start of the season with her new club, FC Bayern. She has been back in team training since March. The injury time did something with the midfielder, as she now reported in an interview with the “tz”.
“Before the injury, I would have told football. That has changed a bit. There are much worse things in the world than a cruciate ligament tear,” said Oberdorf, which added: “Football remains a big factor in my life, my passion remains. But there is also a life outside of football.”
Watching the months – without a ball, without a duels, without a team structure, the international used to get to know herself better. “In my childhood and youth, a lot was moored in football,” said Oberdorf in retrospect. Especially in the phase of sporting success – for example in the first customer contract – it was often defined by her performance on the pitch. She got appreciation through goals, passports and titles. With the injury, this fell away.
“I don’t get an appreciation because I have now made bench press with ten kilos,” said Oberdorf. Instead, she focused more on the person behind the footballer. She used the phase to look at her independently of sport – also with psychological support. Many would forget that a private individual is behind the athlete, said Oberdorf. “They want to go through the city in peace, which may also eat something unhealthy.”
The changeover was great back on the square. “In the beginning you think of course: horny, I can play football again.” But reality looks different. After a nine -month break, she had difficulties in flanking to correctly assess the situations. “Are I going with my head now? Do I take the volley? Let the ball bounce again?” The rhythm is still missing. Nevertheless, the joy predominates: “Being on the field with the team to press a few sayings – I was extremely lacking.”