<a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/02/dfb-soccer-players-an-instructive-journey-nd-aktuell-de/" title="DFB soccer players: An instructive journey (nd-aktuell.de)”>Alexandra Popp links her DFB farewell with a message. She also expects sports-political commitment from the next generation of players. In her last game, the referee forbade her from wearing the rainbow armband.
The fans in the Duisburg stadium rose from their seats and applauded for minutes. She was substituted after 15 minutes in the German national team’s game against Australia (1:2). The 33-year-old left the pitch and the national team through a line of her teammates. After 145 games for the DFB team, Popp resigned from the national team.
During the substitution, Popp took the captain’s armband off his arm. But it wasn’t a rainbow band as usual, but a black, red, gold one. Before kick-off, Popp ran onto the pitch with the rainbow captain’s armband. But then referee Maria Marotta intervened. The Italian asked the striker to take off the armband. Popp picked up an armband in Germany colors on the sidelines. Only then did Marotta whistle to start the game.
“It would have been nice if I could have worn the armband. Also because it was always a statement from us. There was also something nice about playing with the Germany armband. But I don’t know why it was decided that way,” Popp told Bild.
Marotta cited FIFA rules when she ordered the captain’s armband to be changed. These state that the armband must either have a dominant color or be designed in the national colors. In the 4-3 win in England last Friday, Popp’s successor Giulia Gwinn was allowed to wear the rainbow armband. Popp wants her and her teammates to raise their voices for women’s football in the future.
“It’s about wanting to change something”
“It’s about wanting to change something. We are not yet at the end of the development of women’s football,” said Popp. Now it’s the turn of the next generation of players to “apply a little pressure to push development forward a bit.” There are already “very good people in the squad” who could do that, said Popp, but did not name any names.
“In the first league we are not yet very professional across the board,” criticized Popp. Professional players should be able to concentrate entirely on football: “Because it simply makes a difference if I go to work for eight hours – and then I have to give 100 percent on the pitch. Or I can concentrate fully on football.”
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