After two cancer diagnoses, DFB-goalkeeper number 1 conceals it
No entrance fee, but two were allowed in. Balance sheet of Ann-Katrin Berger in DFB match against Austria can be seen. After all, she is a goalkeeper. The woman, who had fallen ill with breast cancer twice, intends to use the battle for the goalpost initiated by Horst Hrubesch.
Some time ago, Ann-Katrin Berger spent four days alone in a hospital room. Condemned to idleness, she had to wait - it's part of her fight against breast cancer. In 2017, she received the shock diagnosis at the age of just 26. She swallowed pills containing low-dosed radioactive iodine, which kills cancerous cells in the thyroid gland. But because she herself emits radiation due to the pills, she is isolated. The most grueling phase of the treatment, despite a six-and-a-half-hour operation: "The radioiodine therapy was the worst of all, because you just sit in a room for four days and can't do anything."
The contrast between then and now could not be greater. On Tuesday evening, she shines in the last DFB Women's match before the Olympics in the sold-out Arena in Hannover. Berger enjoys her performance visibly. She stands in goal, keeps a clean sheet - and records two assists in the statistics. "I think I've never made two assists in a game in my life, that's a little crazy." In the 39th minute, she sends Jule Brand on a long solo run from the midfield towards the Austrian goal, leaving Manuela Zinsberger, the Wolfsburg goalkeeper, no chance. Berger sets up the 2:0, and in the added time, she also contributes to the 4:0 final score with a long pass to Klara Buhl, who scores the decisive goal.
It's only her tenth international appearance for Berger, her debut came at the end of 2020, but she had never made it past the designated goalkeepers: first Almuth Schult, then Merle Frohms got the preference over the woman who left Germany in 2014. In search of her luck, she first went to Paris St. Germain, then to Birmingham City, and for a long time to FC Chelsea.
"I was so angry"
Her current life is a stark contrast to the low points she has already experienced. After the first fight against cancer, she had to face it again in 2022. The cancer returned, a truth she already knew during the EM in England, where the DFB team finished as vice-European champions. She kept the disheartening truth from her teammates, not wanting to distract them from sports. As Merle Frohms' backup, she didn't play. She didn't want to leave, "because I would have gone crazy at home," as the Swabian put it.
"I was so angry. I had done everything right: little sugar, no alcohol, enough sleep, lots of movement. I was super disciplined - and then I got breast cancer again. It felt deeply unfair, mean, and unjust," she told "Stern". After the successful EM, the treatment began again, the anxious waiting for it to take effect. "My grandfather helped me. He sent me books so I could read as much as possible and not think about it too much," she looked back at RTL. Two days after the second radioiodine therapy, she attended a light training session, and three weeks later, she returned to team training.
Cancer patients live with heightened alertness for years, considered healed from a medical perspective after five years, but the concern of the disease returning remains. Regular checks accompany Berger, but they do not hinder her from living or playing sports. Her clear goal is to be not only present but also to play at the Olympics.
Hrubesch opens goalkeeper battle
Surprisingly, after the successful Olympic qualification, national coach Horst Hrubesch initiated a goalkeeper discussion. Frohms had nothing to reproach herself for, her record in 52 games for the German national team is excellent, and she is the starting goalkeeper for Vice Champion VfL Wolfsburg without significant mistakes. Hrubesch, however, wants to give everyone a chance: "We have three, four, five good goalkeepers in total in the league," he says after the win against Austria. Three are currently on the team, Stina Johannes is the third in the national team, she made her debut in the EM qualification game in Poland (1:3). "We wanted to see all of them again," explains Hrubesch his substitutions.
Perhaps this situation unsettled Frohms, who made a mistake at the first goal against Iceland on Friday evening, and did not seem as confident as usual in the rest of the game. Before the match, she emphasized in "Kicker" that she had done everything in her power, and had shown her performance. For her, the situation is naturally difficult: "That's his right as a trainer. I can't understand his decision, but I have to deal with it."
Berger seized her opportunity against Austria. "I play football to be on the pitch. I believe I earned it today, and now it's up to the trainer what he decides," she says self-confidently. Her switch to Gotham FC in April gave her another boost. "It's also the self-confidence I got from my trainer in America. I can do what I want, as long as I don't concede a goal. That pays off, it's just fun to play football again."
Decision in Marseille
Unlike the Bundesliga, the season in the USA runs in the summer months. Berger has no break, played a game on July 7th. The National Women's Soccer League is different, the season is still ongoing, but is currently paused due to the Olympic Games. For the reigning champions Gotham FC and the other teams, it goes on in August with the season, and the finals follow in November. The decision on whether Berger can celebrate the title in her debut season is not yet known until November.
The game in the USA is much faster, she notes, and she had to adapt to it, restructure her game. The experiences from England and the USA, where the strongest league in the world competes for the title, help her further, as the 34-year-old says. This ultimately also benefits the team. Patience is required from Berger and the 29-year-old Frohms until the Olympic opening match against Australia (July 25, 7:30 pm CEST). The final decision, who starts in Marseille, "we will meet in Marseille," says Hrubesch.
Ann-Katrin Berger would certainly be ready: "Playing at the Olympics is an overwhelming feeling, makes me really proud. With my previous illness, it makes it even stronger. Of course, it would be the cherry on top if I could play." The long isolation fades into the background.
During the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, women's football will be a key event. Ann-Katrin Berger, a goalkeeper who has faced cancer twice, aims to participate. Her performance in the DFB-Women's match against Austria, which resulted in a clean sheet and two assists, showcased her talent. Horst Hrubesch, the national coach, initiated a goalkeeper battle, providing an opportunity for Berger to prove her worth.
