Milestones at the Chancellery - FIFA · Milestones at the Chancellery ... Swallowing the bitter pill proved less easy for the representatives a people of Magdeburg. DFB vice-president

211/2008

Milestones at the Chancellery> Nine host cities

> Eleven first-teamwomen

> Fifty-one million euro budget

www.fifa.com/germany2011

FIFA Women`s World Cup Germany 2011TM

Dear football family,

Arena Deutschland is starting to take shape: nine stadiums –

from A for Augsburg in the south to W for Wolfsburg in the

north – will host the 32 matches of the FIFA Women’s World

Cup 2011. The announcement of the host cities, exactly 1,000

days ahead of the opening match on 26 June 2011, was a mile-

stone for our Organising Commit-

tee. After all, as the German FA

(DFB) Executive Committee led by

Dr. Theo Zwanziger intended, it

brings entire regions slowly but

surely into the global football

arena.

I’m convinced that the event in

Berlin served to boost overall recog-

nition and awareness of girls’ and

women’s football in Germany. The

live coverage from the Chancellery

on national TV attracted an audi-

ence of 1.35 million viewers. And

I’m sure everyone enjoyed watching

the thrilled and visibly committed Chancellor at work in her of-

fice, as it were.

I’m also proud and delighted by the support for the Women’s

World Cup 2011 emerging from so many different corners of

society. On the one hand, the World Cup board of trustees con-

vened for the first time, under the leadership of German

Olympic Federation President Dr. Thomas Bach and Federal Min-

ister for the Interior Dr Wolfgang Schauble. Twenty leading fig-

ures from the worlds of politics, finance, sport, the media, the

arts and culture are standing by to offer us help and advice. The

same applies to our team of 11 outstanding female personali-

ties, the "First XI for 2011". Their support is a great honour for

me personally.

Our attention now once again turns to the future. We are utterly

focused on our primary objective, staging another fantastic fes-

tival of football throughout Germany in 2011. FIFA will officially

approve the match schedule by the end of the year, before

which time the OC team and I will have visited each individual

host city. Together with our most important partners, the repre-

sentatives of the cities and the stadium operators, our aim is to

formulate and agree the next steps. For their part, the city au-

thorities are bursting with energy and ideas as they seek to max-

imise the impact of the tournament and fill it with life.

Turning the FIFA President’s vision of a feminine future for foot-

ball into a practical reality continues to be both extraordinarily

interesting and hugely challenging.

With warmest regards

2

NEWS 2011 No. 2

this huge event recognises and

rewards the development of this

sport exactly where the success has

been at its greatest and the passion

has proved the most durable.“

Franziska van AlmsickFormer swimming world champion

Ulrike FolkertsActress

…

this stage, with its audience of millions,

features women in the lead roles, earning

a high and widespread degree of popular

recognition for their skill, triumphs and

convincing performances.“

we'll again host a major sports event at-

tracting attention from all over the globe,

further underlining the significance and sta-

tus women's football achieved in Germany

long ago.”

Magdalena NeunerSportswoman of the Year 2007

girl power is important. The

World Cup is like a top concert - it

needs creativity, positive energy,

physical effort and emotion - and it

unites people and cultures. Let's

make this an unforgettable experi-

ence!“

NenaSinger and pop icon…

…

…

FASCINATION 2011”I want to be there because…

NEWS 2011 No. 2

54

it can help create a national

mood just as positive as it was for the

men's World Cup in 2006. For German

society, that would provide a signifi-

cant and welcome boost, and not

merely from an economic perspective:

it could again prove very effective

around the world in image terms.“

… it will be another milestone in the

history of German sport, and - espe-

cially thanks to the opportunity pre-

sented by the medium of television -

can emphatically prove to the world

that, after the men's World Cup,

women footballers are also capable of

igniting tremendous passions through-

out the country.“

Monica LierhausTV presenter

it'll be colourful and thrilling -

out on the pitch, in the stands, at the

Public Viewing areas and everywhere.

The sun will come out and everyone,

from grandparents to kids, will have a

huge amount of fun.”

Shary ReevesTV presenter…

it will be a massive event with at-

tractive, exciting top-level sport, and

a joyful festival bringing people to-

gether, both for the athletes from

around the world and spectators all

over the globe.”

Britta Heidemann2008 Olympic fencing gold medallist

we can expect some fantastic per-

formances, with vast crowds sent into

raptures by the skill of the principal

characters and the one-off random

dramaturgy of a football match.”

Dr. Maria FurtwänglerActress and doctor…

I'm an unbelievably passionate

football fan, because I'd love us to

have another fairytale summer, and

because football's so much more than

simply sport.”

Dunja HayaliTV presenter…

when I imagine the millions of fans avidly following

the action, I start to dream. I see a huge hand around the

globe, pushing the continents together, and suddenly we're

all children, playing on a brilliant green meadow under a

gigantic mulberry tree - with poems in every language and

pictures in every colour - between an orchestra featuring

every instrument from every culture. We race against each

other, swim, jump and play football.”

Renan DemirkanActress and author…

…

…

Prof. Dr. Beatrice Weder di MauroLeading economist

FASCINATION 2011”I want to be there because…

The future of football is now

Milestones at the Chancellery

Historic firsts: Nine stadiums and a team of First Ladies for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™

a similarly peaceful and joyful festival of

world football as the fairytale summer some

five years previously, this time involving the

best women’s teams in the world. We want

the Women’s World Cup to add even more

gloss to our country’s image and reputa-

tion,” explained DFB President Dr. Theo

Zwanziger.

The tournament continues in Augsburg,

Bochum, Dresden, Frankfurt, Leverkusen,

Monchengladbach, Sinsheim and Wolfs-

burg. This indicates hitherto unseen dimen-

sions for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011,

as the previous tournaments in China 2007

and USA 2003 took place in five and six sta-

diums respectively. The future of football,

predicted by FIFA President Sepp Blatter as

feminine, will certainly have arrived in three

years’ time.

“Germany leads the way in women’s foot-

ball, as reflected in the regional distribution

of the host cities across the whole of the

country. It’s also reflected in the outstanding

proposals contained in the eleven hosting

bids we received, from which we’ve selected

our final nine,” Dr Zwanziger commented. It

was hardly surprising that the announce-

ment attracted no fewer than three (female)

mayors, five (male) mayors, and the Sports

Minister of the Berlin senate, representing

the mayor, who had a prior engagement.

DFB General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach

and OC President Steffi Jones personally

handed over 2011 host city nomination cer-

tificates on the stage at the Chancellery.

Naturally, there was disappointment too for

the representatives of the two applicants to

miss out, Magdeburg and Bielefeld. “It def-

initely hurts,” commented Bielefeld mayor

Eberhard David, showing he was a noble

loser by attending the ceremony nonethe-

less.

due to a cancelled flight from London), pop

icon Nena, Olympic gold medallists Mag-

dalena Neuner (Biathlon) and Britta Heide-

mann (fencing), former world-class swimmer

Franziska van Almsick, economist and

renowned academic Beatrice Weder di

Mauro, and TV presenters Monica Lierhaus,

Shary Reeves and Dunja Hayali form the line-

up for this First XI for 2011. Exactly 1,000

days before the big kick-off, their first task

was to join their “head coach”, the visibly

enthused and passionate Chancellor, to un-

veil the host cities for the first FIFA Women’s

World Cup on German soil, bestowing

charm and glamour in spades on an event

they followed with close attention and in-

terest.

The event made a big impression on the na-

tional media, while the 50-minute live

broadcast on national TV station ARD at-

tracted a well-above-average viewing audi-

ence for a Tuesday afternoon of 1.35 million.

Monica Lierhaus presented the show in her

trademark deft and unobtrusive style at the

unveiling of the nine host cities for the 6th

FIFA Women’s World Cup from 26 June to

17 July.

The Berlin Olympic stadium, where Italy de-

feated France in the Final of the 2006 FIFA

World Cup, will stage the opening ceremony

and the Opening Match in 2011. “Our idea

was to create a seamless link, and send a sig-

nal to the world that we intend 2011 to be

NEWS 2011 No. 2

6

“Ladies first” was the order of the day at

the Chancellery in Berlin on 30 Septem-

ber 2008. Hostess and Federal Chancellor

Dr. Angela Merkel, the First Lady of German

politics, was first up to the stage in, as it

were, her own office. She was followed by a

team of strong and popular women, ap-

pearing in public together for the first time.

This team will spend the next three years act-

ing as First Ladies, raising awareness and en-

thusiasm for the FIFA Women’s World Cup

2011 in Germany on behalf of the German

FA (DFB) Organising Committee.

Three leading actors, Ulrike Folkerts, Renan

Demirkan and Maria Furtwängler (the latter

unfortunately unable to attend the premiere

Swallowing the bitter pill proved less easy for

the representatives a people of Magdeburg.

DFB vice-president Hans-Georg Molden-

hauer was present at the DFB Exec Commit-

tee meeting which considered the bids, but

speaking in his capacity as President of the

north-east Germany regional FA, made it

clear that the decision in no sense repre-

sented an insult to the east of the country: “I

wish to clearly state that it was a correct and

fair evaluation process. As a native of

Magdeburg, I’m obviously extremely disap-

pointed that the city and stadium won’t play

a part in 2011, but I can confirm that the in-

credibly tough decision regarding the venues

was the result of a thorough and meticulous

opinion-forming process.”

The DFB Executive, which convened in Berlin

for several hours specifically to consider the

exceptionally high-quality bids from all

eleven candidate cities, was obliged to take

into account regional distribution and sports

political factors as additional selection crite-

ria. As the sole candidates from Bavaria and

Baden-Wurttemberg, where almost 40 per-

cent of all DFB members are registered,

Augsburg and Sinsheim were thus not

Nine host-cities I Eleven first-team women I

Fifty-one million euro budget

A dozen outstanding women: (Left to right)

Monica Lierhaus, Steffi Jones, Angela Merkel,

Renan Demirkan, Magdalena Neuner, Franziska van Almsick,

Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Nena, Shary Reeves, Britta Heidemann,

Dunja Hayali and Ulrike Folkerts.

Joyful trio:

Joseph S. Blatter,

Theo Zwanziger and

Dunja Hayali.

Major personalities in conversation, hosted by Monica Lierhaus:

Dr. Theo Zwanziger, Joseph S. Blatter,

Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble and Dr. Angela Merkel.

>>

“Having to turn down two excellent bids

is the most difficult decision of them all. We

want to praise Bielefeld and Magdeburg for

their commitment and effort. Both cities re-

main valued partners of the DFB, and we

would today explicitly confirm that both

cities will be invited to host matches in the

near future featuring our women’s national

team in the run-up to the 2011 finals,” ex-

plained the DFB President.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, guest of ho-

nour at the Chancellery, commented: “The

announcement of the venues is a milestone

on the road to the FIFA Women’s World Cup

2011. The host cities are a vital component

of any FIFA event, and will make a decisive

contribution to the success of the World

Cup. I’m looking forward to a productive

partnership with the World Cup host cities.”

Football’s world governing body is in

any case convinced that there

could be no better host nation

than Germany to boost its mis-

sion to spread and develop the women’s

game around the globe. Commented Joseph

S. Blatter: “It is important to FIFA that this

World Cup features high-quality women’s

football in the heart of Europe, adding value

to the women’s game.”

And the team of First Ladies also have an im-

portant role to play. “We’re extremely proud

that our preparations will receive the sup-

port of this exceptionally well-known and

popular team,” commented OC chief Steffi

Jones. And who knows: perhaps the wish

expressed by the Chancellor herself is des-

tined to be fulfilled. The “hostess”, a smile

playing across her features, said she would

be delighted if fans currently in the dark re-

garding their women’s team, “soon learn to

roll off the names of the women’s national

team just as well as those of the men”.

the West German Football and Athletic As-

sociation proposed four candidates, one

candidate from each association could not

be selected as a host city. A glance at a map

underlines the geographical advantages of

Dresden, with its potential to attract interest

from a large surrounding area, thus giving it

a decisive advantage over Magdeburg,

which is located just 80 kilometres from

Wolfsburg.

“At the end of the day, we were presented

with eleven outstanding applications. Un-

fortunately, we were obliged to choose be-

tween them, as incorporating all the candi-

dates would not be economically viable. The

more stadiums, the more expensive the

event, and in contrast to practically all other

major international events, the OC is not

asking for any public subsidy,” Niersbach ex-

plained.

The situation regarding the West German

Football and Athletic Association was partic-

ularly problematic. Here, Bochum’s location

at the heart of the traditionally vibrant and

wide-ranging Ruhr Valley football scene

called for its inclusion. However, the Execu-

tive wished to recognise the strong commit-

ment to girls’ and women’s football made by

all three regional associations– Westphalia

(Bochum and Bielefeld), Mid-Rhine (Lev-

erkusen) and Lower Rhine (Monchenglad-

bach). After careful consideration of the ar-

guments for and against, Bielefeld narrowly

lost out.

NEWS 2011 No. 2

8

open to debate. The same applied to Wolfs-

burg, the sole candidate from the North Ger-

man FA.

A special status accrued to Berlin as venue

for the Opening Match, and to finals venues

Frankfurt and Monchengladbach, which

boast high-capacity stadiums (49,000 each)

capable of staging the most attractive

matches. Along with licence fees from Na-

tional Supporters, stadium size will be an im-

portant factor in maximising ticket sales rev-

enue to help cover the €51 million budget

for the event, which was also approved by

the DFB Executive in Berlin.

As the North-East German FA named two

candidates in Dresden and Magdeburg, and

Wolfgang Tobien

Women in the forefront:

Three Lady Mayors and six colleagues show off host city

nomination certificates presented by Steffi Jones and

Wolfgang Niersbach (5th and 6th from left).

Knowledgeable and committed:

The Chancellor in conversation with

Monica Lierhaus.

Official duty:

The FIFA President and the OC chief sign the

host city nomination certificates.

“This World Cup will feature high-quality

football in the heart of Europe”

10 11

BERLIN

Capacity: 74,244

Constructed: 1936

Federal state: Berlin

Renovation: 2004

Home club: Hertha BSC Berlin

DRESDEN

Capacity: 27,190

Status: Under construction

Federal state: Saxony

Completion: 2009

Home club: Dynamo Dresden

BOCHUM

Capacity: 23,000

Constructed: 1926

Federal state: North Rhine-Westphalia

Renovation: 2006

Completion: 2009

Home club: VfL Bochum

AUGSBURG

Inhabitants: 268,000

Mayor: Kurt Gribl

Major sights: Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady,

Basilica of St. Ulrich and Afra,

Town Hall, Fuggerei,

Prachtbrunnen

Airport: Augsburg

Women’s football: TSV Schwaben Augsburg –

Regional League south

Capacity: 25,579

Status: Under construction

Federal state: Bavaria

Completion: 2009

Home club: FC AugsburgSTA

DIU

M

STA

DIU

M

STA

DIU

M

STA

DIU

M

CIT

Y

Inhabitants: 382,000

Mayor: Dr. Ottilie Scholz

Major sights: Town Hall, Church of St. Peter and Paul,

Church of Our Lady, Zeiss Planetarium

Airport: Dortmund, Essen/Mühlheim, Düsseldorf

Women’s football: Bundesliga 2: Wattenscheid 09

Regional League west: TuS Harpen

CIT

Y

Inhabitants: 508,000

Mayor: Helma Orosz

Major sights: Zwinger, Semper Opera House,

Church of Our Lady, Bruhlsche terrace,

Green Vault, Pillnitz Palace

Airport: Dresden

Women’s football: Saxony State league:

SV Johannstadt 90 e.V.

1. FFC Fortuna Dresden Rähnitz

Heidenauer SV

CIT

Y

Inhabitants:

3,413,000

Mayor:

Klaus Wowereit

Major sights:

Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island,

Berlin Cathedral, Potsdamer Platz,

Reichstag, Bellevue Palace

Airport:

Tegel, Tempelhof, Schönefeld

Women’s football:

1. FFC Turbine Potsdam – Bundesliga

Tennis Borussia Berlin,

1. FC Union Berlin,

SV BW Hohen Neuendorf – Bundesliga 2

CIT

Y

A place on football’s world map

Nine stadiums for 2011

NEWS 2011 No. 2

1312

FRANKFURT AM MAINCapacity: 49,240

Constructed: 2005

Federal state: Hesse

Home club: Eintracht Frankfurt

LEVERKUSENCapacity: 30,200

Status: Reconstruction

Federal state: North Rhine-Westphalia

Completion: 2009

Home club: Bayer 04 Leverkusen

MONCHENGLADBACH

Capacity: 46,297

Constructed: 2004

Federal state: North Rhine-Westphalia

Home club: Borussia Monchengladbach

WOLFSBURG

Capacity: 25,361

Constructed: 2002

Federal state: Lower Saxony

Home club: VfL Wolfsburg

SINSHEIMCapacity: 25,641

Status: Under construction

Federal state: Baden-Wurttemberg

Completion: 2009

Home club: TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Inhabitants: 662,000

Mayor: Petra Roth

Major sights: Romer, St. Paul’s church, Maintower,

Imperial Cathedral, Goethe House

Airport: Frankfurt am Main

Women’s football: 1. FFC Frankfurt – Bundesliga

STA

DIU

M

STA

DIU

M

STA

DIU

M

CIT

Y

CIT

Y

Inhabitants: 162,000

Mayor: Ernst Kuchler

Major sights: Morsbroich Palace, Japanese garden,

Leverkusen-Burring water tower

Airport: Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf

Women’s football: Bayer 04 Leverkusen – Bundesliga 2

CIT

Y

Inhabitants: 35,000

Mayor: Rolf Geinert

Major sights: Sinsheim motor and technology museum,

Burg Steinsberg, Stift tower

Airport: Frankfurt am Main, Karlsruhe, Mannheim

Women’s football: TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – County League

CIT

Y

Inhabitants: 121,000

Mayor: Rolf Schnellecke

Major sights: Fallersleben Palace,

Motor City, Church of

the Holy Spirit

Airport: Hannover-Langenhagen

Women’s football: VfL Wolfsburg –

Bundesliga

CIT

Y

STA

DIU

MST

AD

IUM

Nine stadiums for 2011

A place on football’s world map

Inhabitants: 265,000

Mayor: Norbert Bude

Major sights: Town Hall Abbey,

Rheydt Palace, cathedral

Airport: Dusseldorf

Women’s football: FSC Monchengladbach –

Regional League west

That might just have been the factor which

gave the USA the decisive edge against the

Brazilians in the final. The South Americans’

sparkling attacking play and added bonus of

huge tactical flexibility made them pre-

match favourites. Theune described the sil-

ver medallists’ style as “free-flowing”. “You

have the impression the players often fall

back on intuition, frequently doing exactly

the right thing in any given situation.” The

current Brazil team is also blessed with ex-

ceptional individual class. Theune was par-

ticularly impressed by Marta’s dribbling skills

and pace over the first few yards, Cristiane’s

agility and nose for goal, Daniela’s ability to

up the tempo of a game, and Formiga’s pre-

cise passing into the deep.

The DFB selection knows only too well just

how devastatingly effective the Brazilian

recipe can be after crossing swords with the

South Americans twice at the Olympics. The

Europeans attempted to counter flair with

discipline and a systematic approach. “Our

teams always emerge from their compre-

hensive youth development phase with a vast

amount of tactical and strategic ability,”

Theune remarked.

NEWS 2011 No. 2

Beijing 2008 increases expectations of Germany 2011

The most interesting observation made by

the former Germany coach during her time

in China was that the greatest success went

to the nations which maximised their excep-

tional strengths as teams, and thus provided

an optimal platform for their most gifted in-

dividuals. “Teams from four different conti-

nents made it to the semi-finals – and each

team succeeded with their own, totally orig-

inal brand of tactics,” Theune explained.

That made for thrilling contrasts, with each

team pursuing an individual strategy. The re-

sults were never predictable. The fact that

the USA ended the tournament as winners

might not have been predicted by everyone

beforehand, but was hardly an overwhelm-

ing surprise by the end.

“The Americans improved with every game.

You could see they peaked at exactly the

right time. Their new Swedish coach Pia

Sundhage places a lot of emphasis on tech-

nical and tactical details, without ever over-

doing it, while still allowing plenty of space

for the Americans’ trademark virtues.

They’re very well-organised, in that the de-

fenders and central midfielders dictate the

play. And it was noticeable that the players

went into every match with a totally positive,

confident attitude,” Theune continued.

Of course, every Olympic competition con-

cludes with the awarding of gold, silver and

bronze medals. But if we imagine for one

moment that this was not the case, we

might be forgiven for imbuing the scene at

the Beijing Workers' stadium with symbolic

character. The podium ceremony would then

have represented a widely-spread hymn of

praise to as many of the participating teams

as possible, all of whom contributed to an

interesting, exciting and high-quality battle

for honours in China. It also boosted the

mounting sense of anticipation ahead of the

next global showdown in women's football,

the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 in Ger-

many.

For the first time, the Women's Olympic

Football Tournament featured a starting field

of twelve. The quality demonstrated by the

players more than justified expanding the

tournament. “Increasing the number of par-

ticipants was a great idea. Introducing a new

format for the tournament meant there

were dramatic moments even at the group

stage. It wasn't clear who would be meeting

whom ahead of the third matchday. Fur-

thermore, the knockout rounds and the

matches to decide the medals produced

some truly exciting moments,” commented

Tina Theune. The DFB coach, a member of

the FIFA Organising Committee and the

world governing body's Technical Study

Group, personally cast a watchful eye over

many of the games at the Olympics.

14

Aerial duel:

Simone Laudehr (left) gets the

better of Brazil’s Formiga.

Olympic women's football –

Thrilling contrasts

The tournament finished with celebra-

tions, but the joy was by no means con-

fined to one single team. Unusually for

the game of football, the victors' po -

dium featured not just one but all three

top teams.

Sparkling attacking football

versus tactics and strategy

Three continents, three styles:

The teams from Brazil, the USA and Germany (left to right)

at the medals ceremony.

>>

Olympic Committee chiefThomas Bach to head 2011 board of trusteesTwenty top figures from the worlds of politics, finance, sport, media,art and culture make up the board of trustees for the FIFA Women'sWorld Cup 2011, which convened for the first time on 30 September2008 in Berlin. The chairman is Dr Thomas Bach (pictured), Presidentof the German Olympic Federation (DOSB), while his deputy is Ger-man Federal Minister of the Interior Dr Wolfgang Schauble.

“The whole of German sport, and all other areas ofsociety, are supporting the FIFA Women's WorldCup 2011. We will all have a role to play in the suc-cess of this great collective endeavour,” promisedDr. Thomas Bach in Berlin.

The main role of the board of trustees is to advisethe Organising Committee of the FIFA Women'sWorld Cup 2011 and the presidential committee,comprising DFB President Dr Theo Zwanziger, Treas-urer Horst R. Schmidt, Vice President HanneloreRatzeburg und General Secretary Wolfgang Niers-bach, on fundamental issues. Furthermore, board members will nurture con-tacts with the worlds of finance, politics, sport, art and culture.

“The members of the board of trustees are all admired and respected, whichunderlines the significance of girls' and women's football in Germany. I alsobelieve the board will serve as a guarantee for the sustainability of our WorldCup project,” summarised OC President Steffi Jones.

CHAIRMAN:

Dr. Thomas BachPresident of the German Olympic Federation

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:

Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble – German Federal Minister of the Interior

MEMBERS:

Prof. Dr. Maria BöhmerFederal Government Officer for Immigration, Refugees and Integration

Lorenz Caffier – President of the Conference of German Sports Ministers

Dr. Peter DanckertChairman of the Sports Committee in the German Parliament

Joachim Fuchsberger – Actor and entertainer

Petra HedorferChairman of the Board of the German Tourism Office

Annegret Kramp-KarrenbauerPresident of the Conference of German Cultural Ministers

Prof. Dr. h. c. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann – President of the Goethe Institute

Liz Mohn – Deputy Chair of the Bertelsmann Foundation

Klaus-Peter MüllerChairman of the Supervisory Board of Commerzbank AG

Dr. h. c. Engelbert NelleHonorary Vice President of the German Football Association

Bernd Neumann – Federal Government Officer for Culture and the Media

Dr. Reinhard Rauball – President of the League Association

Patricia Riekel – Chief Editor of BUNTE magazine

Claudia Roth – Federal Chair of Bündnis 90 /The Green Party

Dr. h. c. Petra Roth – Mayor of the City of Frankfurt

Markus Schächter – Director of ZDF

Ursula von der LeyenFederal Minister for the Family, the Aged, Women and Young People

Jürgen R. ThumannPresident of the Federal Association of German Industry

The Germans generally deploy appropriate

and effective methods, the DFB coach re-

marked, chiefly reflected in strong collective

performances, often involving pressurising

their opponents in midfield and rapidly

switching from defence to attack after re-

gaining possession. Germany frequently

showed depth of character at decisive mo-

ments, as the current team is always capa-

ble of upping the tempo as the occasion de-

mands.

Virtues of this nature have sufficed to secure

World and European trophies in the past,

but Theune was just as excited by the emer-

gence of the Japanese as a new force in the

game. Although the Asians ultimately fin-

ished fourth, the former Germany coach

rated their performance as overwhelmingly

positive. “They’ve surprised us all. They have

huge potential for the future. They’ll be

there or thereabouts very soon,” she stated,

thoroughly impressed by Japan’s wide-rang-

ing technical excellence and flexible tactical

options, both in defence and attack.

“They permanently hunted down the ball

and seized the initiative when in possession.

They’re capable of thinking ahead, so they’re

extraordinarily comfortable in stress situa-

tions,” Theune enthused. The one area

needing urgent attention was a certain lack

of ruthlessness in front of goal.

Tina Theune will now watch the teams’ fur-

ther development with great interest – and

not merely the four Olympic semi-finalists. In

the three years until 2011, any number of

other teams are capable of making a great

leap forward. The fans are surely in for a

treat.

16

Niels Barnhofer

Brilliant bronze:

Renate Lingor (left) and Sandra Smisek

are delighted with third place.

Battle for possession:

Sandra Smisek shakes off the attentions

of two Japanese opponents.

Berlin targeting European crowd record in 2011Organisers are hoping for a new European record attendance when the

sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on 26 June 2011. "A 75,000 full

house at the Berlin Olympic stadium would be a new European record

for women’s football. This is certainly one of our targets,” commented

DFB General Secretary Wolfgang

Niersbach at the announce ment

of the nine tournament venues.

A critical factor in setting a new

record would be the continua-

tion of the practice by which the

host nation contests the first

match at the FIFA Women’s World

Cup.

The current record for a women's football match in Europe belongs to

FFC Frankfurt, who claimed the UEFA Women’s Cup against Swedish ri-

vals Umea in May 2008 in front of a 27,640 crowd at the Frankfurt Com-

merzbank Arena. The all-time record attendance was set at the FIFA

Women’s World Cup 1999 final, when 90,000 spectators watched the

USA play China at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.

DFB launches “Women’s Internationals’ Club”The German FA (DFB) is to launch a “Women’s Internationals’ Club” to

complement the men’s “Internationals’ Club” founded in April 2008.

Membership is restricted to outfield players with at least ten caps, and

goalkeepers with at least five. Since Germany’s first women’s interna-

tional fixture, a 5-1 win over Switzerland in Koblenz on 10 November

1982, 79 players have fulfilled these criteria.

“The women’s national team is a jewel in the DFB’s crown. Thanks to

their attractive football and likeable personalities, our players have be-

come role models for large numbers of young women. We want to say

thank you and express our special appreciation,” explained DFB Presi-

dent Theo Zwanziger.

+ + 2011 News in brief + + + +

>>

Jones appointed to FIFAwomen’s football committeeFootball’s world governing body FIFA has appointed OC President Steffi

Jones to the Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women's

World Cup™. The 18-member committee, chaired by Worawi Makudi

(Thailand), also includes German FA (DFB) vice-president Hannelore

Ratzeburg.

>>

>> >>

Expert eyes:

DFB coach Tina Theune,

representing FIFA in Beijing.

Women’s World Cup 2011

could significantly contribute to the develop-

ment of women’s football as well.

What is the role you assign to the FIFA

U-20 Women’s World Cup 2010?

The U-20 Women’s World Cup is an interesting

platform to test your manpower and at least

some of your stadiums. It makes sense for both

FIFA and the LOC to host the U-20 event in the

same country that is going to host the

Women’s World Cup a year later. At U-20 level,

there are some very talented youngsters who

play very attacking football, so you can expect

thrilling games. In addition, the tournament

will provide a platform for many players to

show what they can do and maybe earn a sen-

ior call-up in 2011.

In the run up to the FIFA Women’s

World Cup you will be visiting Germa -

ny quite often. Will you just come for

business or do you have some special

affinity to the country?

our committee on September 24 in Zurich, and

I came away with a very good impression. We

all know that when it comes to the organisa-

tion of events Germans are second to none.

What about your first meeting

with Steffi Jones?

I was very impressed by her commitment and

willingness to contribute to the success of the

World Cup. It seems to me that she is fully

aware of her great responsibility, and that she

is definitely the right person for the job, as she

has a deep understanding of the main issues

facing women’s football in the world and is a

very popular personality in Germany.

Some countries have already ex-

pressed their desire to host the FIFA

Women’s World Cup 2015. Does this

mean that the women’s game is be-

coming more attractive and could

even be entering a new era in 2011?

Exactly. Women’s football is becoming more

popular in many countries. In recent years, I’ve

noticed that football federations around the

world are eager to exploit the potential of

women’s football, as they see there is a very

attractive niche that can bring a lot of bene-

fits.

Do you agree with the idea that wo -

men’s football needs more stars?

We do have some idols like Marta and Birgit

Prinz, but we do need some more faces to in-

crease the global awareness. By providing a

stage for the consolidation of young stars, the

I have been to Germany so many times that I

have stopped counting. I know the people at

the DFB very well: President Dr. Theo Zwan -

ziger, General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach,

my friend Horst R. Schmidt, and especially

Franz Beckenbauer. Actually, Franz is not my

friend but my brother. It’s very nice to see that

they all love Thailand and we all love Germany.

German people have a good heart. Besides,

they have fantastic stadiums and Sports Acad-

emies. A lot of German football instructors

have come to Thailand to share their valuable

knowledge with us, something we truly ap-

preciate.

When are you planning your next visit

to Germany?

I would like to do an inspection tour of the sta-

diums in 2009. I’m sure Steffi Jones will be a

great host.

Interviewed exclusively by OC staffer David

Noemi, Worawi Makudi of Thailand,

Chairman of the Committee for Women’s

Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup,

underlined the strategic importance of the

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 for the fu-

ture global development of the women's

game. The FIFA Executive member also re-

vealed himself to be a major fan of Ger-

many as a country, and announced a tour

of inspection of the host cities in 2009.

Worawi Makudi, could you briefly de-

scribe the main tasks of the Commit-

tee for Women’s Football and the FIFA

Women’s World Cup?

Our main task is to develop women’s football

around the world - from grassroots up to pro-

fessional level. Besides focusing on the organ-

isation of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we in-

tend to promote the development of women

in a variety of areas, such as coaching and ref-

ereeing. It’s a challenging task that is proving

to be effective as the number of women foot-

ballers is consistently increasing. Of course

there is still a lot to do in order to get more

girls into football and extend women’s football

to new nations.

How can the FIFA Women’s World Cup

2011 contribute to the development

of women’s football?

It can make a big contribution. Women’s foot-

ball will be taking centre stage in a perfect set-

ting, and the images will be shown on TV to a

multinational audience, thus attracting the in-

terest of many young girls, who will be thrilled

by the beautiful atmosphere and top stars like

Marta and Birgit Prinz. I think the Women’s

World Cup in Germany will become a mile-

stone in the development of women’s football

around the world.

What exactly do you expect from

the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 in

Germany?

I think it will be a fantastic event. In 2006 we

experienced a lively and colourful festival of

football in Germany. In 2011 we expect to see

another tournament with a fantastic atmos-

phere and with the charming touch of

women’s football.

To what extent will the FIFA Women’s

World Cup 2011 differ from Germany

2006?

The classic football supporters who attended

the matches at the 2006 World Cup will be fill-

ing the stadiums once again in 2011. They just

love football and always want to be present.

Nevertheless, women’s football in Europe at-

tracts another kind of spectator as well: those

who attend matches with their whole family

and enjoy the unique appeal of women’s foot-

ball. 2011 is set to be a charming family busi-

ness.

What is the main challenge facing

the Local Organising Committee in Ger-

many?

At this point in time I wouldn’t like to mention

a particular issue, as the overall World Cup or-

ganisation is an extremely challenging task. I

had the opportunity to meet with the LOC for

the first time on the occasion of the meeting of

19

“2011 will be a fantastic

stage for new stars”

NEWS 2011 No. 2

“2011 will be a charming family business and

a milestone for women's football”

FIFA head of women's football Worawi Makudi:

2011 under control:

OC general coordinator

Ulrich Wolter, DFB vice-president

Hannelore Ratzeburg,

Worawi Makudi and Steffi Jones.

Jule, Christina, Susanne, Katharina, Bea,

Ines, Sonja and Marie are all aged be-

tween 14 and 24. A couple of months

ago, they discovered a shared passion

for football.

They formed themselves into a team, a

proper women’s football team no less, seek-

ing to train regularly and play competitive

fixtures against other teams. Just like totally

normal young women, you might think –

and it certainly looks that way to the un-

trained eye. The scene as the newly-initiated

players chase after the ball and shoot at goal

could easily be a recreation ground any-

where in some corner of Germany. But the

setting for this particular team’s home

ground is anything but normal. It is sur-

rounded by the community, but far removed

from it, caught in society’s offside trap, if you

will. It lies at the heart of the Justizvoll -

zugsanstalt Köln – Cologne prison.

The rain buckets down as Steffi Jones arrives

in Cologne around midday. The gloomy

weather is a grimly perfect backdrop to the

drab and stifling architecture which greets

the OC chief as she makes her way through

the prison gate and secure entrance area.

The corridors are dark, the oppressive silence

broken only by the harsh clang of warders’

keys, unlocking iron doors one after another

en route to the interior of the facility.

OC chief Steffi Jones is visiting the gaol on

behalf of the German FA (DFB) Sepp Her-

berger Foundation. In a novel and unique

initiative, football is aiming to assist some 90

young men and women sentenced to penal

terms under juvenile criminal law in North-

Rhine Westphalia as they prepare for release

and a fresh start in the community. Working

together in groups, the aim is for sport to

help the young offenders develop character-

building and social skills, easing the path

back into normal society. After release, the

former prisoners will also be offered con-

crete assistance as they begin the daunting

and fraught process of re-integration.

On finally reaching the sports hall, Steffi

Jones greets the 14 players on her new

team, smartly turned out in an all-blue kit,

with a bright and cheery “Hi girls!” The first

step in the Sepp Herberger Foundation

“Kicking off a new life” project is a training

session with the former World and European

champion, after which Jones will withdraw

for a private chat with the girls and young

women, devoting herself to their needs on

a highly personal basis. The OC chief will

listen attentively, and take time out to hear

Kicking off a new life:Ball skills behind bars

Steffi Jones at Cologne prisonfor the Sepp Herberger Foundation

NEWS 2011 No. 2

21

Mastering the technique:

Shooting practice for the Cologne women’s team.

Ball skills behind bars:

A practice match supervised

by Steffi Jones

their point of view, on football, the past, the

present, the future, and life in general.

The outdoor training session on a red all-

weather pitch attracts a bizarre and faintly

sinister “crowd”. Over the last few days, the

inmates have got wind of the fact that a

well-known female footballer is due on site

to coach – of all things – the female prison-

ers. Steffi Jones oozes confidence and com-

posure as she steps out onto the pitch, at-

tributes she herself says were acquired

through football. She is utterly unmoved by

the insistent murmur now emanating from

the male cell block on the opposite side of

the pitch. In fact, she turns the “greeting”

to her advantage. “Don’t react, don’t be

provoked, and don’t be put off,” she in-

structs her charges. “Just focus on your foot-

ball. We’ll show them how good we are.

And we’re really good!”

The session opens with the players gather-

ing in a huddle, demonstrating comradeship

and unity. Steffi Jones has noted the name

of each individual, and now speaks words of

motivation and inspiration to each in turn. A

variety of skills exercises comes next, fol-

lowed by a 30-minute practice match. “Ob-

viously, the absolute priority in this kind of

session is for everyone involved to enjoy it.

That’s the foundation for everything else,”

comments Jones, unable to contain her own

enthusiasm. The session is also a physically

demanding and welcome change from the

never-ending round of strategy briefings and

organisational meetings in her Frankfurt

office and elsewhere, an unavoidable part of

heading up the Organising Committee for

the first FIFA Women’s World Cup on Ger-

man soil.

“We’ll show them we’re

good. Really good!”

>>

The aim of the 2nd Football Congress was

to discuss ways of sustaining existing oppor-

tunities for boys and girls to play sport and

football at school level, whilst considering

ideas for future initiatives. The congress,

which took place on 6-7 October in Potsdam

under the motto ‘Cross, header, goal –

school, club, association’, was organised by

the DFB in cooperation with the Conference

of German Culture Ministers and the Con-

ference of German Sport Ministers. In a joint

statement, the participants pledged to con-

tinue working towards qualitative develop-

ment in the area of school sports.

With this aim in mind, the role of the up-

coming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 in

Germany was addressed. The campaign

planned for the tournament was presented

and discussed in a separate working group.

A talk between DFB President Dr. Theo Zwan -

ziger and Organising Committee President

Steffi Jones rounded off the discussion of the

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 at the 2nd

Football Congress. The current state of pre -

parations for the tournament, and the im-

portance of the campaign planned for

schools and clubs, were some of the themes

addressed in this discussion chaired by head

of the DFB Schools Department Wolfgang

Staab.

The 200 participants agreed on the impor-

tance of capitalising on the 2011 event in

Germany. Helping to develop existing initia-

tives, as well as aiding future projects to

strengthen the position and structure of the

women’s and girls’ football in Germany,

were some of the potential benefits men-

tioned. Amongst those participating were:

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, President of

the Conference of German Culture Minis-

ters; Lorenz Caffier, President of the Confer-

ence of German Sport Ministers; Dr. Hans-

Dieter Drewitz, DFB Vice-President and

Matthias Sammer, DFB Director of Sport.

23

“Football has an almost infinite capacity for

instilling the kind of values you need for a

normal and productive life, such as fairness,

discipline, respect and tolerance. You also

learn the benefits of abiding by the rules.

And above all else, the fundamentals are

teamwork and acting for the good of the

group. You win together, and you lose to-

gether,” Jones reflects.

After almost 90 minutes, the session ends

with high-fives and beaming smiles all

round. “It’s been a terrific experience. The

session was really great fun. We’ve learned

lots of things today that no-one’s showed us

before. Steffi Jones is a real-life role model.

We’ve all taken her completely to heart,”

comments keen player Bea following the rig-

orous workout designed to kick off a new

life.

“We were unbelievably proud when Steffi

Jones spontaneously declared her willingness

to accept the role of patron for girls’ and

women's football,” declares Manuel Neu -

kirchner, the Foundation’s managing direc-

tor, “her total commitment to the role and

the way she breathes life into it is a wonder-

ful bonus, especially for the participants,

who stand to profit over the long term.”

The three-hour stay at Cologne prison has

left Steffi Jones visibly moved. “I was ab-

solutely delighted to accept the role of pa-

tron for this women’s team. Some of the

things we talked about after training, in

some very deep conversations, have left

me with much to ponder. But it’s also con-

firmed football’s power to effect unbeliev-

able change in society. We’re ready to face

up to our social responsibilities as we con-

tinue preparing for the FIFA Women’s World

Cup 2011.”

22

Jens Grittner

Football’s power to

effect change

Ready for action:

“Coach” Steffi Jones with players on

the subs’ bench.

PUBLISHING CREDITS

Publisher:FIFA Women`s World Cup 2011TM

Organising Committee Germanyc/o Deutscher Fußball-BundOtto-Fleck-Schneise 6 60528 Frankfurt am MainPhone: +49 (0)69 6788 563 [email protected] www.FIFA.com/germany2011

Chief press officer: Jens Grittner (person responsible according to German Press Law)

Chief editor: Wolfgang Tobien

Editors: Stephan Eiermann, David Noemi

Contributors to this edition: Niels Barnhofer, Ulrike Brade, Maximilian Geis, Dieter Hochgesand, Klaus Koltzenburg, Annette Seitz

Photographs: Foto Kunz, Getty Images, dpa picture-alliance, Ph. Wente, T. Schnitzler

Layout and production:B2 Design, Nordring 82 a, 63067 Offenbach

FIFA Women's World Cup 2011TM

Using the appeal of the FIFA Women’s

World Cup to boost sport in schools

The 2nd Football Congress in Potsdam

Potential spin-offs for school football:

Dr. Theo Zwanziger, Steffi Jones and Wolfgang Staab

looking forward to the sustainable benefits of the

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011.

Committed performance at

the lectern:

Visions and proposals by

Matthias Sammer.

Speech by DFB vice-president:

Dr. Hans-Dieter Drewitz at 2nd Football

Congress in Potsdam.

NEWS 2011 No. 2

consist of half-sized pitches where instruc-

tors sponsored by FIFA and other associa-

tions do their best to give out advice. The

women always have to play behind closed

doors and are forced to cover up their bod-

ies by wearing long trousers, tracksuit tops

and head scarves. The national team's play-

ing field is part of the Army club compound

and, though protected by the military, it is

not uncommon to hear a bomb go off

nearby. When one such device damaged

part of the complex recently, ISAF soldiers

were puzzled by the presence of a group of

women shortly after the incident. “We have

training today” Azadeh recalls telling the be-

mused peacekeepers.

One of the highlights of recent years was the

visit of Birgit Prinz to Afghanistan in 2006

when the three-time FIFA

Women’s World Player

spent three days training with schoolgirls.

Now that the Afghans have returned the

compliment by visiting Prinz’s homeland, we

can only hope that, despite all the difficul-

ties, women’s football in Afghanistan con-

tinues to flourish.

It may have a longer tradition and boast a

higher standard of football than its Asian

neighbour, but women’s football in IRAQ

has to cope with many of the same problems

prevalent in Afghanistan. Training and

matches must take place away from the

public eye, and players are required to cover

their legs, arms and heads.

“In IRAN, women’s football is a struggle for

freedom,” says Iranian filmmaker Ajat Najafi

who, along with David Assmann, produced

a documentary in 2006 about the Iran na-

tional team’s first home game against for-

eign opposition. The film, which depicts the

encounter with the Berlin ama-

teur league side Al Dersimspor, was shot

under heavy restrictions and was subse-

quently banned from cinemas in Iran.

Despite the many existing religious and

socio-cultural obstacles that female foot-

ballers face, a wind of change does appear

to be blowing especially in the Arab world,

with many state initiatives being undertaken

to protect and promote the game.

Meanwhile, in other Asian nations, a more

liberal attitude towards women’s football

can be detected. In MALAYSIA, for exam-

ple, women’s football has been around since

the start of the 1970s and is played in shorts,

short-sleeved shirts and without head-

scarves. However, given the country’s multi-

confessional society, the national team do

occasionally have to break off from training

sessions for prayers.

A cursory glance at a map displaying the

places where women’s football is played

around the globe is sufficient to show

just how much things have changed for

the sport in recent years. The blank areas

that would have once dominated the

map are disappearing fast, revealing a

thriving sport with worldwide appeal.

Recently, the young women from the

AFGHANISTAN national team travelled to

Germany for a training camp at the Ruit

Sports Academy in Baden-Wurttemberg. The

differences between these two footballing

worlds could hardly be greater. The inexpe-

rienced footballers from a land with only

very basic women’s human rights and

plagued by war, terror and poverty, were vis-

iting the home of the reigning world cham-

pions where women’s football is firmly es-

tablished.

The women from Afghanistan spoke about

the hardships involved for players taking up

the sport and what it means to them to be

able to play the game in their home country.

Striker Azadeh (whose name means Liberty)

says with a gentle smile that “with-

out freedom there wouldn’t be

any football back at home at all, let

alone women’s football”. Despite of-

ficial government support, one problem

that Azadeh and her colleagues often face

is family disapproval when it comes to play-

ing football. The situation may be slowly get-

ting better, but women’s footballers still en-

counter a large degree of opposition in the

male-dominated Afghan society. “Life in

Afghanistan has made us braver,” says

Azadeh.

Overcoming such prejudices, though, is just

one of the problems facing Afghanistan’s

budding female footballers. The available fa-

cilities are basic in the extreme and mostly

In Arab countries a wind

of change is blowing

Hidden, isolated – yet unstoppableIn another world: Women’s football and the fight for freedom

24

Football in Afghanistan:

Not even asphalt or military helicopters

can dampen the enthusiasm.

Team photo with LOC president:

Steffi Jones receiving the Rwanda national team

at DFB headquarters in Frankfurt.

>>

With three years still to go before the

FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011

kicks off, there will be many talented

young players eager to catch the eye of

national coach Silvia Neid. One player

hoping to claim a spot in the national

squad for the showpiece event is Nadine

Kessler.

“Of course, I’m dreaming about the 2011

World Cup in Germany, but I’m just taking it

one step at a time at the minute. If I keep

working hard, then I’ve definitely got a

chance of taking part,” said the Saarbrucken

midfielder.

Kessler has enjoyed an eventful couple of

years after twice finishing top scorer in Bun-

desliga 2 and helping her club to

achieve promotion to the top tier in 2007. In

May 2008, Saarbrucken made it all the way

to the DFB cup final, where they lost 5-1 to

Frankfurt. The season, however, finished on a

sour note for Kessler who suffered a knee in-

jury in a league game against Wolfsburg a

few days after the final. She was then forced

to watch from the sidelines as Saarbrucken

lost their battle to stay in the top flight. “First

of all, I want to get fit again. After that, my

goals are to win the U-20 World Cup in Chile

and to help Saarbrucken go straight back up

to the Bundesliga,” said Kessler.

The tournament in Chile will not be Kessler’s

first taste of a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup,

after having already participated in the 2006

edition in Russia, where the German team

coached by Maren Meinert made it to the

quarter-finals. Kessler was also instrumental

in Germany’s

UEFA Women’s U-19

Championship win in 2007,

a title that provided automatic qualification

to this year’s tournament in Chile. “I think

the experience that our team has will prove

to be an advantage. This side has stayed and

grown together over a number of years. We

have a good mix of experience and youth.

Everything is in the right place ahead of the

tournament,” said an optimistic Kessler, who

works for the German Army in the Bun-

deswehr Sports Promotion Group stationed

at Warendorf.

With two European U-19 titles to her name

and a wealth of international experience, all

by the tender age of 20, this ambitious

player from Landstuhl in the Rhineland-

Palatinate has certainly left an impressive

calling card for Silvia Neid to consider.

Women’s football in LAOS, which enjoys de-

velopmental support from the DFB, has one

cultural advantage over its neighbours due

to the popularity of the native sport

“Takraw”. The game, played with a wooden

ball and similar to foot-tennis, is widely

played among girls in the country who thus

have few problems adapting to the variant

with a leather ball. The women’s footballers,

who often train barefoot, are usually very

happy when they get the chance to practise

with a conventional football. Although

women’s football in Laos has only had an or-

ganised structure for little more than a year,

the national team has already set its sights on

a medal at the South East Asian Games to be

held in Laos in 2009. To that end, the football

association’s President is not averse to water-

ing the training pitch himself when necessary.

Despite the continuing reservations held by

some sections of the population, PAKISTAN

has gone to some length to promote the

women’s and girls’ game in the country. Play-

ers, though, are often forced to use hockey

pitches, and are still required to play in long

robes. In addition, most play the

game without appropriate footwear. For

many people, the rough and tumble of the

game is viewed as unbecoming for the fe-

male sex. Many still hold the view that foot-

ball-playing women have little chance of

finding a husband - something which is tan-

tamount to social exclusion in Muslim soci-

eties such as Pakistan. It is laudable that de-

spite all these obstacles, more and more girls

are starting to take up the game.

Nadine Kessler – Step by step towards 2011

Talented youngsters hoping to make it to the FIFA Women’s World Cup

NEWS 2011 No. 2

26

Free and easy:

Steffi Jones with two of the stars of

“Football Under Cover” at the film’s premiere.

World Cup in her sights:

Nadine Kessler (below) – in the thick of things (above left) and with

the UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship trophy (above right).

Maximilian Geis

In NICARAGUA, the main obstacle to the

growth of girls’ football is primarily an eco-

nomic one. For example, girls who participate

in the project in Leon run by a former Ham-

burg footballer mostly come from extremely

poor and unstable backgrounds where regu-

lar meals are an exception. If, as threatened,

Germany does indeed suspend its financial

aid to Nicaragua, the effects would be felt far

beyond the Leon football project in a land

where life is already a struggle.

While women’s football has managed to

firmly establish itself in many African coun-

tries, in other places like RWANDA, the

game is only slowly emerging after years of

turmoil. In a country that saw one million

people die as a result of the genocide in the

1990s, and where today AIDS continues to

ravage the land, women’s football can be

seen as laying down small seeds of hope for

the future.

A few months ago, the first ever Rwanda na-

tional side was selected from players in-

volved in the 12-team women’s league.

Shortly afterwards, the team were invited to

Germany to train at the Koblenz-Oberwerth

sports academy, where they also played four

friendly matches against local opposition.

The initiative was part of a DFB project and

supervised by the Rhineland Palatinate Foot-

ball and Culture Association (FKV 06).

The short stay in Germany no doubt inspired

the young Rwandan players to start dream-

ing of a return to the country as qualifiers for

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. It is a pros -

pect that Local Organising Committee

President Steffi Jones would welcome.

“Obviously, it would be tremendous if I

found myself congratulating Rwanda's

young team on successfully qualifying for

the World Cup. Just a few years ago, a nor-

mal football match was all but impossible in

Rwanda. The national players are role mod-

els and clear proof of the power of the

game," commented Jones when she re-

ceived the 18 players, the coaching staff and

representatives of the Rwandan FA at DFB

headquarters in Frankfurt. Dieter Hochgesand

Demonstrating the power of football

2928

NEWS 2011 No. 2

„Lady Rooney“ and Co. – Att ack is their motto

Amy Rodriguez I USA

Elena Danilova I RUSSIA

Elodie Thomis I FRANCE

Vanessa Bürki I SWITZERLAND

Ma Xiaoxu I CHINA PR

Cynthia Uwak I NIGERIAThe 21-year-old Californian is nicknamed “A-Rod” on account of

her explosive pace and ability in front of goal. Rodriguez, who is be-

ginning her senior year at the University of South California, helped

her college team to the NCAA championship title in 2007. In addi-

tion to scoring a goal at this summer’s Olympic Football Tourna-

ment, she set up Carli Lloyd for the winner in extra time of the final

against Brazil.

The Russia striker was only 15 when she got her first FIFA Women’s

World Cup experience after participating in the FIFA Women’s World

Cup USA 2003, even managing to score her team’s only goal in the

7-1 quarter-final defeat to Germany. The pacy and skilful forward

once again proved her worth at the UEFA Women’s U-19

Championships held in 2005 and 2006, where she ended up

top scorer at both events.

Despite being only 20 years old, Ma Xiaoxu has already estab-

lished herself on the international stage and earned a clutch of

accolades in the process. The top scorer and player of the tour-

nament at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Russia 2006 was

also voted Asian Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Ma is a

technically gifted and resolute forward who is known in China

as the “Lady Wayne Rooney” because of her bullish self-confi-

dence. “Wearing the No. 10 shirt for the Chinese national team

is a new challenge for me. It’s a chance for me to gain more ex-

perience and to keep on improving,” said the Dalian Shide

player, who was forced to sit out the Women’s Olympic Foot-

ball Tournament in Beijing due to a cruciate-ligament injury.

After spells at Falkopings in Sweden and United Jakobstad and Kuo-

pio in Finland, the 22-year-old African is currently playing alongside

Elodie Thomis at Lyon. The striker, who was voted African Player of the

Year in 2006 and 2007, admits she would not be averse to another

move sometime in the future. “It’s a dream of mine to play in the

American professional league one day,” said Uwak, who scored one

goal at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2007 and started all three of

Nigeria’s games at this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. After picking up the Swiss Player of the Year award in 2006, the

lively forward moved from Zuchwil to Bayern Munich in the Bun-

desliga. “At first I wasn’t sure if I’d done the right thing by mov-

ing to Germany. Now, however, I’m very happy that I made that

choice and I don’t regret the decision for one second,” said Burki

who has just extended her contract at the Bavarian club for a

further year. The self-confessed Ronaldinho fan has so far

notched up 11 goals in 37 league appearances for Bayern.

Before breaking into the full national side at the UEFA

Women’s Championship in 2005, the France forward was

part of the team that won the UEFA Women’s U-19

Championship 2003 title in Germany. Thomis joined Lyon

from Montpellier in 2007 and has no regrets about the

move, saying: “In Lyon the whole set-up is really impres-

sive. Woman’s football here isn’t treated as a hobby but as

a profession that’s taken seriously.”

New stars on the international stage

each Bundesliga club

should be working to raise its

own profile. It’s important for clubs to nur-

ture a close relationship with the media as

well as having a good public relations policy.

Similarly, improving the infrastructure is also

very important.

At club level, what role do you think

the national team members could play?

One of the advantages of the Bundesliga is

that nearly all of the national team play here.

The clubs have to be aware of the opportu-

nities available to them, both in the lead-up

to the tournament and afterwards. Every

player, whether a member of the national

team or not, should stand together and cel-

ebrate the Women’s World Cup as the sport-

ing highlight of our game and an event that

deserves our unconditional support.

The Bundesliga currently has plenty

of talented youngsters emerging.

Do you think any of them have a

chance of breaking into the national

side in time for the FIFA World Cup?

This year we have two FIFA Women’s World

Cups taking place, the U-17 event in New

Zealand and the U-20 in Chile. I think there’s

a good chance that some U-20 players will

make it to the national team in time for

2011. The U-20 event tournament will be a

very valuable learning experience for these

players in that respect. It’s important for us

to have young players coming through who

have already acquired some international ex-

perience, which is why I’m pleased that

we’ll be participating in both tourna-

ments.

How will the Bundesliga be affected

if the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011

unleashes a wave of euphoria?

The euphoria is already there when you con-

sider that girls’ and women’s football has

grown by more than 100 percent in the last

five years. That really is an enormous devel-

opment. As regards the Bundesliga, I don’t

expect to see a similar boom. Here we’ll have

to work closely with the clubs and take it

one step at a time.

For over 30 years now, DFB vice-presi-

dent Hannelore Ratzeburg has been

closely involved with the development

of women’s football in Germany. She is

hoping that the FIFA Women’s World

Cup 2011 will provide a boost for the

Women’s Bundesliga. In conversation

with DFB colleague Annette Seitz, Han-

nelore Ratzeburg talks about her hopes

for the new Bundesliga season, the pos-

sible spin-offs from Germany 2011 for

the country’s clubs, and the prospects for

the emerging pool of talented Bun-

desliga players ahead of the big event in

three years’ time.

What are your hopes for the recently

started Bundesliga season?

I’d like to see several clubs in a position to

compete for the title this year and also see

the league as a whole become more evenly-

matched. Last season, we had the exciting

situation going into the final game where

Duisburg still had a chance to win the

league. Naturally, that type of scenario is very

attractive for the league, the media and the

general public. This season, Bayern Munich

are going to be in with a chance while Ham-

burg’s line-up also looks good. This is a

promising sign and shows that we have

good players coming through from the

youth ranks who can compensate for the

loss of the older ones.

How important are the next two

Bundesliga seasons for raising the

profile of the women’s game ahead

of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011?

I don’t think there’s a need to promote

women’s football as such. Instead, we simply

have to make the general public aware that

the Women’s World Cup 2011 is taking

place. Obviously, every club up and down

the country can do their bit to promote the

event, not just the Bundesliga clubs.

In what ways can the clubs help to

make 2011 a success?

The clubs should be making people aware of

the World Cup at every possible opportunity.

Such a high-profile sporting event isn’t going

to be returning to Germany for quite some

time, especially when you consider how

many other national associations are inter-

ested in hosting the tournament. We have

to use all the means at our disposal in terms

of public relations and media work to pro-

mote the event. To cite just one example, we

already have the World Cup Ambassadors

team who will be appearing at special Bun-

desliga or local association events.

What effect do you think Germany

2011 will have on the Bundesliga?

It is hard to tell. What is demonstrable, how-

ever, is that each time we’ve won the Euro-

pean Championship, we’ve witnessed an

enormous growth in the number of girls’

football teams. When we won the World

Cup for the first time in 2003, there was yet

another boom. It’s clear the domestic profile

of women’s football has increased as a result

of these successes. There are more and more

people these days who say they enjoy

watching women’s football. In this respect,

30 31

“Bundesliga clubs should be working to raise their own profile”

An interview with German FA vice- president Hannelore Ratzeburg

NEWS 2011 No. 2

Pioneer of Women’s football:

Hannelore Ratzeburg, the DFB vice-president

for Women’s and Girls’ Football.

Powerful performance:

Kim Kulig (right) of Hamburg SV is one of the young

Bundesliga talents who could feature at FIFA Women’s

World Cup 2011 in Germany.

On the road to Germany 2011?

The German U-20 international

Carolin Schiewe (centre) of Turbine Potsdam.