In the two finals against England, the 15-year-old was unstoppable. Küster, who has been playing blind football since she was nine and made her debut in the Bundesliga when she was 13, scored all the goals in the two 4-0 wins for the German team. She was then voted player of the tournament and was overjoyed in an interview with the organizers of the European Championships, the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).
“I felt so free on the pitch. Being the top scorer is an indescribable feeling,” said Küster.
Seven St. Pauli players in the German squad
The 15-year-old was one of seven St. Pauli players in the ten German squad. In addition to Küster, Jana Marquart, Johanna Weymann, Jenny Dabelstein, Pia Rink, Svenja Bartels (was voted the best EM keeper) and Alisa Rudi from the Hamburg district club were also part of the squad of national coach Wolf Schmidt. The coach is also a St. Paulian. Just like Sven Gronau, Antje Küster, Julius Kolbeck and Michael Hain, who belonged to the supervisory staff.
“The English women have been involved in women’s blind football for a long time and are very professional. That’s why it’s a sensational, incredible success for us. And I’m very proud that we were the first women’s team to be part of this international success “, explained Smith.
Crowdfunding campaign made participation in the EM possible
Germany’s start at the European Championships in Italy was questionable until a few weeks before the start of the tournament. Since blind football has so far only been a Paralympic sport for men, the German sports funding system does not provide for funding for a women’s national team. In order to be able to pay the entry fees for the European Championship (1,260 euros per person), the players started a crowdfunding campaign, which was a complete success. In addition, further funding could be generated so that the costs for the start in Pescara could be covered and the trip to the Adriatic became an unforgettable experience for the team.
“It’s a fantastic experience. I have no words for the feelings we’re having right now,” said Jana Marquart, probably speaking from the heart of all her team-mates