Ann-Katrin Berger silenced criticism at Euro 2025 to become a German national hero

Criticism at the start of UEFA Euro for its questionable and dribbling passes in its own region, Ann-Katrin Berger became a national hero in Germany after an emblematic safeguard and a vital penalty to help beat France in the quarterfinals. Player of the elected match, she arrives in the semi-finals against Spain with a new status, but the same unshakable state of mind.

102nd minute, Saint-Jacques park, Basel. For a few seconds, the German and French fans have carved out while the experienced central defender Janina Mnge led a cross of Sakina Karchaoui linked to the goal. She was about to put pressure on her own goalkeeper.

But then the unthinkable happened: Ann-Katrin Berger took a few steps and intervened brilliantly to repel a bullet which was heading towards the upper corner. The French thought they had marked its own miraculous objective in addition to time. The German goalkeeper decided to the contrary.

It was such a memorable backup that Charlotte Harpur of Athleticsamazed in the press box, wrote: “There is nothing like the best backup of all time (…), but Berger is now part of this conversation.”

Against France, Berger made a total of 9 stops and made two vital stops in the penalty shootout to disgust the Blees despite its number of slowdown since the 14th minute and the dismissal of Kathrin Hendrich.

She finished with the price of the match player.

“I am not a very emotional person“She said at the press conference.

“I’m just happy and proud to be here, to be in this team.”

During the final whistle, the producers of the competition decided to film his close-up, and Berger took the opportunity to pay a quick tribute to his grandfather, who had just been 92 years old. But she quickly annoyed herself and asked the cameraman to film the rest of the celebrating team with fans: “Hey, film the team too, not only me. The team is just as important!”

A quiet force to channel young talents

The 34 -year -old goalkeeper, who plays for Gotham in the American Women’s League, thinks she was “Just do your job”Despite decisive judgments in penalty shooting. It is a calm force, capable of calming young players like Jule Brand, who was full of energy for 120 minutes, or Sjoeke Nüsken, who marked the equalizer and celebrated like a worm with the final whistle.

“She is so calm, so intelligent. I knew she would save penalties”, “ She said to the mixed zone thereafter, while the winger Klara Buhl described it as “The pillar of serenity in the team”with her “Extraordinary life experience”.

Calm and relativity that Ann-Katrin Berger has a life that has been far from simple. In 2017, while playing for Birmingham City, his first case of thyroid cancer was diagnosed. After a quick return to the field six months later, Berger relapsed at the end of August 2022, after spending the summer on the DFB bench during a euro where Germany lost against England in the semi-finals.

Her story with the eight European champions is also far from simple: the player who grew up playing as an attacker and midfielder before setting up for the age of 16 because she had “Become too lazy to run”Waited up to 27 years old and transferred to Chelsea to pull the German shirt for the first time.

After her first cap in a Euro 2022 qualifying match against Ireland, she took advantage of the historic elimination of Germany in the 2023 World Cup group phase to be promoted number, taking the place of Merle Frohms.

2024 Olympic Games heroine

Beginner at the Olympic Games, where the DFB finished third, Berger played the six games and even scored a penalty after saving two against Canada in the quarter -finals. She even saved the penalty of Alexia Potellas in the 90th minute during the third -place qualifiers to help Germany secure bronze. An unpleasant memory for the winner of the Spanish ball, who will again face the “German wall” in the semi-final on Wednesday.

But while Berger has established itself as a guardian of first choice not disputed in Germany, and was strengthened by Christian Wuck when he took charge of the national team in August 2024, the 34 -year -old man almost found himself on the bench after a chaotic start at Euro 2025.

The German goalkeeper made three full-fledged stops against a team from Sweden who really did not need help after taking a 3-1 lead at halftime, but his trainer under-offspring, insisting that Germany “would not last long” In the competition if she continued to dribble in her region.

A complicated start for euros

“To say well, I am not really interested in those who criticize in one way or another outside the football field”, “ replied Ann-Katrin Berger to his detractors, happy that this bad patch has happened to him “Now and not in the quarterfinals”. I am very critical by nature, so I don’t really need to hear the criticisms of someone who has never been in goal. “”

After its stellar performance against the Blue, the time has come for praise rather than criticism. The 34 -year -old man, who has only 26 caps in his name, was even praised by legend Lothar Matthaus, captain of the German team of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, who thinks that Berger has “The quality and ambition of leading the team to great success”.

The goalkeeper, for his part, dreams at least to reach the final, as she did in 2022, for very personal reasons: “My grandfather was 92 years old a few days ago. My motivation is to put him in the final. He said that the quarter-finals and the semi-finals are not worth it.”