How did you start playing football?
When did Doris Fitschen's career begin?
I started playing football at the age of 9, in the late 70s. The coach of the newly formed girls' team called FC Hesedorf noticed me because I played football every day at school and with my friends. He introduced himself to me and my family. However, my family did not want me to play football initially. And at first they banned it. Because football is not for girls and definitely not for women. I whined for a very long time until I finally got my wish. But when I turned 16, I had to promise to quit football.
Is it true that as a 9-year-old little girl, your coach gave you a bonus of two Deutsche Marks for your first goal?
TRUE. We were a newly established girls' team. Of course we weren't very good. Unfortunately, we couldn't score any goals and lost every match 0-4, 0-10. To motivate us, our coach then told us, "Whoever scores the first goal will receive a bonus of two German Marks." Coincidentally, I was the lucky one who scored the team's first goal. After that, I didn't earn any money by playing football for many years. I became a two-time European Champion and started earning some money when I turned 25. But it wasn't enough to make a living.
What is your incentive today? What is your motivation for women's football? No more two German marks bonus?
Football is my passion. I had the privilege of being able to turn my hobby into a profession. It gives me great pleasure to see that girls and women today have better opportunities than we used to have. There's still a lot of potential here. And that's my encouragement. To develop women's football in Germany together with my colleagues. Together with my colleagues, I want to further develop women's football in Germany.
What was your path to becoming a professional football player? At first, you said it was difficult. At that time, girls could not play football and it was not suitable. Were there any other obstacles to overcome? What motivated you to continue?
At the age of 17, I was called to the women's national team for the first time. Then I ran into an obstacle. My teacher didn't want to leave me on leave from school. But the interesting thing was that there was another football player in our school. a male actor. He was regularly off from school for the U16 national team and as a girl I wasn't. But I overcame this and was able to go to our national team's match. I really wanted to play in the national team. Unfortunately, no one applauded or shouted "Superb".
We see again that today's boys think that girls cannot play football and that they pass the girls less in training. What advice would you give to young girls on this subject?
I have a funny story about this. My son, who is only 9 years old, wanted to play women's football when he was little. I used to tell him a lot about women's football and when we started talking, he said to me, "Mom, can I play women's football when I grow up?" But now she and her classmates are at an age where they think girls can't play football. He doesn't have much contact with girls these days. Girls aren't too cool for him right now. Here, he is greatly influenced by his classmates who do not find girls or girls' football interesting. Otherwise, he will be ridiculed by his classmates.
And this despite the fact that she has a professional football player who is as successful as her mother. How do you respond when your son makes jokes and remarks like this? You fight for women's football in Germany.
We joke about this. He needs to put some things away too. As women, we multitask, are very strong, and tell classic jokes. He also has a good sense of humor.
You are responsible for the “FF27 Women in Football” strategy. Is it possible for you to give us more information?"
My aim was to bring together and structure all the measures that had already been worked on in order to publish them together in a strategy before last year's European Championship. Since we were able to attract so much attention during the European Championship, it was important for me that the DFB's critical rivals saw that the DFB is not only activated with the European Championship and that we also have a plan. For the future. Whatever the result of the European Championship, whether we lose or win. We also feel that the decision-makers at the DFB are referring to this. This took us much further.
