German football mourns the death of Doris Fitschen

Doris Fitschen, an influential figure in women's football, died after serious illness.

Doris Fitschen died on Saturday at the age of 56. Whether it is about her career as your career, your coaching adventure or your leadership roles, your career in women's football has been successful for decades.

Fitschen represented Germany 144 times as a player between 1986 and 2001. At the age of 21 she was part of the success of the 1989 European Championships when the national team won their first international title. She was also selected as a golden player in the tournament.

Fitschen followed it with four other European championship winners with the last coming in 2001 before laying their boots. After her retirement, Uefa Fitschen gave a special Achievement Award. In club football she was four times German champion with TSV Siegen and 1. FFC Frankfurt. She also won the DFB Cup on four different occasions.

After her career as a player, she was a manager of the women's national team between 2009 and 2016 and mastered two European championships and a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. Until her latest role as a DFB coordinator, Fitschen continued her support for women's football in various functions before she wrote unhappy death.

Several German football leaders expressed their deep grief according to the news. “We played so many games and tournaments together and shared so many experiences,” said Heike Ulrich, General Secretary of DFB. “We were often able to celebrate success together, laugh together and also shared despair, excitement and disappointment.

“We will not forget Doris and continue her warm project, women in football and women's football. Our thoughts are with their family and their relatives. “

“I admired Doris for many things, including the way she dealt with her illness,” said DFB Vice President for Women's and Girls Football Sabine Mammitzsch. “She was never defeated and continued to drive for the causes and the people who were important to her.

“Doris is one of the people who cannot be replaced not professionally and certainly not personally. Her career and fate are now an incentive and obligation for me and for us to continue in your mind and to support women's football with all our conviction and strength. “

“Doris is one of the crucial figures in German football,” said Bernd Neuendorf, President of DFB. “As a player, she was a manager and strategist. She had presence, dominance and aura, which others could look up.

“This is how I experience it at DFB in her impressive second career. Here, too, she directed the way, while as a team player she took everyone with her and campaigned for the interests of women's football with vehemence, competence and great empathy for the interests of women's football. “