The countdown is on: The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand begins on July 20th. After the DFB women’s runner-up title in Europe in 2022 in England and the subsequent enthusiasm in the women’s Bundesliga, the euphoria is great. “You can see how much enthusiasm women’s football has created around the world,” said former German national goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg on Deutschlandfunk. She praised the positive and above all global development of women’s football.
Clear professionalization in women’s football
Compared to her active time, the development is enormous. She still did many of her exercises herself and worked out the training plan independently. “It has become so professional that so much has developed,” said the 51-year-old.
The world champion from 2003 and 2007 described that she played for FCR 2001 Duisburg, but lived in Rhineland-Palatinate herself, where she trained with a goalkeeping coach at Waldhof Mannheim – and with a friend at the German Sport University in Cologne. “You were responsible for your own career to a certain extent,” said Rottenberg.
In the sports talk, she reported again in detail about the first title win of the German women’s national team in the USA in 2003, which is 20 years old this year, and about Nia Künzer’s golden goal in the final against Sweden to 2:1.
Not only the title counts: EM 2022 was “super organized”
The positive impact of the 2022 Women’s Championship in England on women’s football was due to the fact that the tournament was “superbly organised” and that it took place in a “special country”, a country that had pushed women’s football forward enormously.
In addition, the German team was enthusiastic, convinced with passion and exuded a great team spirit, said Rottenberg. In the end, this moved more than if you had won the title.
Rottenberg warned against taking the German team’s World Cup group opponents Morocco, South Korea and Colombia lightly. “I have to disappoint anyone who thinks that the world is still so far apart,” said Rottenberg, who, as a goalkeeping coach, also looks after various youth teams of the DFB.
“The team spirit is very important. Every player has their role, everyone has their place and the bench is often the most important thing. In the end you have to be ready for every moment,” she emphasized the importance of a good and broad squad – often had in At the end of their careers, the substitutes made all the difference to winning the title.
Extension to 32 teams approved by Rottenberg
With a view to the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Rottenberg also advocated expanding the field of participants to 32 teams. The performances of the two German test match opponents Vietnam and Zambia in the run-up to the World Cup impressed them. “After the World Cup we can talk about whether 32 teams were too many or just right,” said the former sports soldier in Dlf.
Rottenberg relieved about the end of the TV broadcast hanging game
In relation to the impasse surrounding the sale of the World Cup broadcasting rights and the threatening gestures of the world football association FIFA, which had put pressure on the television stations because the broadcasters’ bids for the World Cup were too low, Rottenberg was relieved.
“I’m delighted that FIFA is now focusing on women’s football and that women’s football as a brand has now arrived at FIFA,” she said. Women’s football has never been pushed like it is now. However, it was also a relief for her that the transmission of the World Cup on ARD and ZDF was secured. “I’m also very happy that ARD and ZDF are broadcasting the World Cup, the channels that everyone in Germany gets,” said Rottenberg.
Will the next but one Women’s World Cup come to Germany?
For the next but one Women’s World Cup in 2027, for which Germany is applying together with Belgium and the Netherlands, she hopes to be accepted. “It will be another huge boom and a highlight and certainly no worse than Australia and New Zealand,” said the ex-national goalkeeper.
Women’s football has become a focus sport across Europe. Many European teams are able to fill stadiums. “The wave swept over from England,” said the three-time European champion. It is also a great advantage that big names like FC Barcelona or Arsenal London now have women’s teams. “Names also attract, that makes women’s football even more popular, it pushes it and of course there’s a lot of money behind it,” said Rottenberg.
Rottenberg praises young women in German football
The trained dental assistant, who today has many young talents under her wing, also spoke positively about the young women in German football. But every player has to work.
“No one will fly anything,” said Rottenberg. There are also enough talents in Germany in the goalkeeper position. So nobody has to worry about the future of German women’s football in the foreseeable future, according to the experienced ex-player.