It is less than three years since Sara Däbritz left Munich for Paris. Back then, in 2019, she would never have thought that she would play a game in the Munich Arena when she returned to her Bavarian homeland. On Tuesday she will play with Paris St. Germain in the quarter-final first leg (6.45 p.m.) in the Champions League at FC Bayern. And a dream will come true.
“Honestly, I never thought about it again,” Däbritz told DW, but when she watched the draw and Bayern Munich got the draw, “actually it occurred to her that maybe we could play in the Munich Arena.” And that’s how it will happen, Däbritz and Paris Saint-Germain will be received by Bayern for the Champions League cracker in the 75,000-seat arena in Munich – a scenario that would have been completely unimaginable in Munich when they were young. But growing interest in women’s football in the boardrooms of top European clubs such as Bayern Munich and at UEFA has meant that all but one of this year’s Champions League quarter-finals are being played in stadiums normally reserved for men.
“For me it’s just a positive feeling. The positive mood you get when you enter such a stadium. You’re playing on a pitch that’s perfect. Then you see the stadium, it’s beautiful,” said Däbritz. “And I hope that we’ll play in front of a lot of fans. That’s the atmosphere we want. It gives us motivation and more strength.”
In a leadership role
Däbritz continued to mature in Paris, at the Arnold Clark Cup, an invitational tournament with Germany, England, Canada and Spain, Däbritz led the DFB selection onto the field as captain – a big step despite the sobering performance of just one point from three games . “I’m 27 years old and I’ve played a lot of games for the national team and clubs. I consider myself an experienced player and I try to help the young players who come into our team,” says Däbritz about herself.
The former Freiburg native was surprisingly nominated for the 2013 European Championships, where Germany won the title. Until 2016 she celebrated a title in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, winning the U20 World Cup and an Olympic gold medal with the DFB selections. Playing abroad was the next challenge for Däbritz, which she achieved in contrast to many other German national players.
“The differences in culture have helped me, as has the different styles of play. All of that helps you to develop as a player and as a person. I’m really happy with my experience,” she said of her time in Paris, where she also shared personal life Goals: “When I went abroad, it was important to me to learn the language quickly and adapt to the culture. I think that worked out quite well and I was able to get used to the team, the club and the environment more quickly integrate.”
Great demand for tickets
Despite being able to adapt quickly off the pitch, Däbritz faced an enormous challenge just months after joining PSG. In December 2019, she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during the game against Montpellier.
The women’s match between FC Bayern and Paris St. Germain will be played in the Munich Arena
She says that her own positivity and the support of family, friends and social media followers even allowed her to draw positive from the serious injury at such an important stage of her career: “This injury made me even stronger mentally – as a person, but also on the field, she helped me to overcome all the challenges during the injury.” Now she feels really comfortable, enjoying playing in another country and also looking forward to playing at home again, says the 27-year-old.
And there is a lot of interest in the guest appearance with her current club at the former club in Däbritz’ environment: “After the draw I got a lot of messages,” remembers Däbritz. “They approached me and asked directly for tickets for themselves and for family and friends.” The stage in the north of Munich is ready for Däbritz, PSG and the hosts from FC Bayern.
Adapted from the English by Jörg Strohschein