German footballers happy to see Jordanians cheer them on at FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

AMMAN — For footballers Anna Hausdorff and Lisa Schöppl, teammates from Germany’s U-17 national squad, it was not a strange feeling to start their football careers playing at boys’ clubs. 

As children, they were fascinated by football when they saw their brothers and male friends playing the game on the street. 

“I started playing with my friends and brother on the street. When they decided to join a club next door, I decided to join them,” Hausdorff told The Jordan Times in a recent interview conducted through an interpreter.  

Her teammate Schöppl chose football by following in her big brother’s footsteps. 

They are not the only footballers on the German team who started out playing with a boys’ team, they said, adding that this is not unusual in Germany. 

“We simply chose the nearest club in our small town, but in general there are many women’s football clubs in the country,” Hausdorff said. 

Both of them agreed football is a unique and entertaining game.  

“Football is a team sport and you are not by yourself, playing alone like tennis,” Hausdorff, who now plays for FC Eintracht Bamberg, added. 

Schöppl said she learns something new at every game, because every match is different. 

Moving onto a women’s team meant making a few adjustments, according to Hausdorff. 

“In boys’ football, the game is quicker and they play with their whole body, and you have to be stronger,” she explained.   

But Schöppl, who currently plays for VFL Wolfsburg, did not find it difficult playing with the boys.

“Of course you have to be good at playing football [with boys] but when you are at the same level as them, they will accept you as the other boys,” she added. 

Both players expressed their excitement over Wednesday’s quarter-final match against Spain at Amman International Stadium, as part of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. 

“It is cool to play against them and it will be a tough match. Little things will make the difference,” Hausdorff said 

Schöppl said she was surprised when she learned that many Jordanians are attending the matches to cheer for them. 

“It is a good feeling to see Jordanians coming to the stadium to cheer for Germany and we did not expect that,” she said.