First female footballers added to Germany's Hall of Fame
October 12, 2019
Hall of Fame recognition has been granted for the women who have helped shape the sport in Germany.
Silvia Neid, Silke Rottenberg, Steffi Jones, Nia Künzer, Renate Lingor, Bettina Wiegmann, Inka Grings and coach Tina Theune were present at the awards in Dortmund, collecting their prize from new DFB President Fritz Keller.
A 28-member jury of sports journalists had chosen the founding member of the history of German women's football. Footballers of German origin, whose career has ended at least five years ago, were eligible.
Heidi Mohr painfully missed
The also honored record national player Birgit Prinz, second honorary leader next to Wiegmann, the current national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and Doris Fitschen, who is currently battling cancer, who could all not attend the ceremony in person.
Former striker Heidi Mohr died in February following a serious illness at the age of just 51. Europe's footballer of the century is also painfully missed by her longtime companions. "At first I remember Heidi's warmth and humor, but of course she was without a fuss," Theune said.
As an advocate of women's football, Keller underlined his commitment to its growth: "Anyone who does not watch and is not involved in women's football, I say: This is a mistake," said the former club president of Freiburg.
The DFB lifted its ban on women's football in 1970 and Germany were crowned European champions in their own country 30 years later, a moment that proved a breakthrough and made Voss-Tecklenburg, Enid, Fitschen and Mohr, who all played in the final, pioneers of the women's game in Germany.
Hall of Fame Newcomers will be decided on a yearly basis, with Helmut Schön, Oliver Kahn, Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Wolfgang Overath and Jürgen Klinsmann also inducted.