Berger to be Germany's goalkeeper for women's Euros
Ann-Katrin Berger will be Germany's starting goalkeeper at the women's Euros in Switzerland in July, coach Christian Wück said on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old helped Germany to Olympic bronze in Paris in August before Wück took over.
"She will go into the Euros as the number one. In other words, she will get playing time from now on," Wück told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the Nations League matches against Scotland on April 4 and 8.
Wück has so far used Berger, who plays for the US club Gotham FC, as well as Stina Johannes from Eintracht Frankfurt, Ena Mahmutovic from Bayern Munich and Sophia Winkler from Essen during his tenure.
Winkler has suffered a cruciate knee ligament tear and is not an option for the Euros.
"All those who have had opportunities have delivered good performances but have not been without mistakes," Wück said about the keeper candidates.
Speaking specifically about Berger, he noted: "She exudes the kind of confidence that a young goalkeeper might need more time to develop."
Berger and Johannes, along with Rafaela Borggräfe from Freiburg, have been nominated for the matches against Scotland, while Mahmutovic is only on standby.
Bayern's Maria Luisa Grohs, who recently made her comeback after overcoming cancer, could still enter the race for a squad spot for the record European champions.
Berger also overcame thyroid cancer in 2017.
Germany, who drew 2-2 against the Netherlands and defeated Austria 4-1 in Nations League games in February, face Scotland next month in Dundee and in Wolfsburg.
Injured players Rebecca Knaak from Manchester City and Kathrin Hendrich from Wolfsburg miss out.
Forward Franziska Kett from Bayern has been called up for the first time, while club team-mate Sydney Lohmann returns to the 23-player squad, which is led by captain and Bayern full back Giulia Gwinn.
Paulina Krumbiegel from Juventus and Freiburg's Cora Zicai are also back.
Wück has high hopes for Bayern's Lena Oberdorf, who had previously been a key figure in Germany's midfield. The 23-year-old is recovering from a cruciate ligament tear and Wück is optimistic she will be fit in time for the Euros.
"With Obi, it's simply a matter of the timing potentially working out, it should work out," he said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Simone Biles Speaks Out After Slamming Riley Gaines for Her Views on Transgender Athletes
Simone Biles clarified her comments to conservative activist Riley Gaines about transgender athletes in a new post The Olympian said the conversation "starts with empathy and respect" and clarified she was "not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports" Biles said she believes "sports organizations have a responsibility" to support "inclusion while maintaining fair competition"Simone Biles is speaking out again after she slammed Riley Gaines for her views on transgender athletes in sports. Biles, 28, posted a lengthy message on X on Tuesday, June 10, telling her followers she wanted to "follow up" on her last posts from the weekend in which she called 25-year-old Gaines, a conservative activist and former swimmer, a "sore loser" and "truly sick." "I've always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport," Biles began in her follow-up post. "The current system doesn't adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn't help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for." The Olympic gymnast said their conversation covers "sensitive, complicated issues" that she doesn't "have the answers or solutions to." "But I believe it starts with empathy and respect," Biles continued. "I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over." "I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful," Biles concluded, signing off with, "Xoxo Simone." Biles first called out Gaines when the conservative activist commented on a post from the Minnesota State High School League of players posing with their first softball state championship plaque. Gaines wrote, 'Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy,' referring to Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete who is a pitcher for the team, according to Fox News. Rothenberger helped the team secure the win with a shutout, as their opponents failed to score. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Biles quoted the X post and wrote, "You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One thing's for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!' In a separate post on X amid the argument, Biles wrote, 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male." Gaines and Biles' exchange was sparked by the ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to push back against states, like California, who are permitting transgender athletes to participate in sports that align with their gender identity. After 16-year-old transgender athlete AB Hernandez won both the high school girls' high jump and triple jump at a California state track meet earlier this month, the Trump administration threatened California with fines and legal action, according to CBS News. Hernandez's success also prompted California's Interscholastic Federation to change its rules to allow more "biological female student-athletes" to participate in the same events that trans-athletes are also participating in, per AP. Read the original article on People


Fox Sports
39 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Huijsen recalls Mourinho and idol Sergio Ramos as he is introduced by Real Madrid
Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Dean Huijsen thanked former coach Jose Mourinho and talked about his "idol" Sergio Ramos as the center back was introduced by Real Madrid in what he called 'the best day" of his life on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Spain international was signed by Madrid from Bournemouth in May to give the Spanish powerhouse its first reinforcement for next season. He signed a five-year deal after Madrid activated the player's 50-million pound (then $66.4 million) buyout clause. 'It's the best day of my life,' he said. "It's a dream to be here, and I'm going to give everything for the team. For me, Real Madrid is the best club in the world, and there is no other team like it.' Huijsen thanked Mourinho for bringing him to Roma on a loan from Juventus in January 2024. 'I was at Christmas dinner with my family when Mourinho called," he said. "When he calls, you have to listen. He's one of the greatest in the history of soccer, and I'm very grateful to him.' Mourinho had called Huijsen one of the 'best prospects in European soccer.' The young defender, who earned a first call-up by Spain for the Nations League playoffs in March, said he received a message from former Madrid star Ramos when his signing was made official. 'He's my biggest idol, the best center back in history,' Huijsen said. "I admire everything about him, he's the most complete center back. My first fond memory is the final of the (Champions league in 2014), when he scored in the last minute of added time. I was 9 years old.' Huijsen said he already talked with new team coach Xabi Alonso about his roles with the club that needs to rebuild a defense after multiple injuries to its backline during a mostly disappointing 2024-25 season. 'We talked a little about what he expects from me. I think it's going to be a great few years,' Huijsen said. "I think I fit in very well with the style of football Xabi wants to play. I'm going to try to contribute as much as I can, and I'll be delighted to help.' The highly rated defender was being sought after by other clubs in the Premier League after his standout season with Bournemouth. The skilled Dutch-born center back joined the Premier League team from Juventus for a reported 12.5 million pounds (then $16.6 million) in the offseason last year. He was a regular for Bournemouth since breaking into the team in November. ___ AP soccer: in this topic


Boston Globe
43 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Not protecting Hilary Knight from PWHL expansion was the ‘hardest decision' Fleet GM Danielle Marmer had to make
'Not protecting Hilary Knight was the hardest decision that I made in my professional career to date,' Marmer said Tuesday. Related : Knight, 35, is one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport. In addition to tying for the league lead in points this season (29 in 30 games), she has won four Olympic and 15 World Championship medals with Team USA, and she holds the World Championship records for goals, assists, and points. She announced in May she plans to make the 2026 Olympics her fifth and final Games, and she may be closing in on the end of her career. Advertisement Müller, meanwhile, is 27 and has a long career ahead of her. 'I had to strike a balance between performance, longevity, and salary cap,' Marmer said. 'I think Alina is somebody who it doesn't matter who we surround her with or what she has to work with, she's going to find a way to do a really nice job and be productive and be impactful.' Advertisement In addition to Müller, Marmer protected defender Megan Keller and goaltender Aerin Frankel. Teams received one additional protection after the expansion teams had poached two of their players, and Marmer used hers on Shay Maloney. Between the exclusive signing period and the expansion draft on Monday night, Related : The expansion process continues with free agency and the PWHL entry draft on June 24, but Vancouver and Seattle's initial 12-player rosters are set. By allowing teams to protect only three players initially and four overall, PWHL executives hoped to make the expansion teams competitive in their first year. But critics of the process have argued that it put existing teams at a disadvantage and turned the expansion teams into 'super teams.' When asked about the criticism, Marmer deflected. 'I'm not sure I'm in a place to be able to comment on if it was the right format or how we need to change it, but I'm certain that the league and everybody involved is going to spend some time seeing how things play out and making any adjustments for potential future drafts that need to be adjusted,' Marmer said. Despite losing four top players, Marmer was optimistic about how expansion will affect the remaining players on her roster. 'With change comes opportunity, and there are going to be players who are going to rise to the occasion and step up in a way that they maybe wouldn't have had the opportunity to had some of these players remained in our market,' Marmer said. 'I'm really excited to see who it is and how it goes and how those players show up and maybe take on some of that responsibility.' Advertisement Emma Healy can be reached at