London. Cruel misfortune caused him to miss two consecutive European Championships.
Pure fluff it can stand a third.
It’s a will of steel that has turned a 31-year-old zookeeper into the indomitable and unlikely hero of the tournament.
When the final whistle blew at MK Stadium in Milton Keynes, Alexandra Pope settled on the field outside her penalty area. She took a lot of long defensive rounds during the game causing her energy to disappear. Emotions control.
It doesn’t take several seconds before it fills up with mates everywhere.
The German captain had just led Germany to the final of the European Championship and the journey there was not easy.
– I’m so glad he’s working with her. It is worth it. She’s a fighter on and off the field, quarterback Lena Oberdorf tells Sportbladet after the semi-final win.
Despite the fact that Alexandra Pope has 119 caps for Germany and won most things to win, she has never played in any European Championships before.
When Germany won Sweden in 2013, Bob had to watch from the sidelines. Just weeks before the tournament, I had a foot injury.
In 2017, the accident happened again. A knee injury kept her out of the tournament in the Netherlands.
In fact, she almost missed this tournament as well.
Had he not been introduced for a year due to the pandemic, the Wolfsburg star would not have had a chance to return.
In January 2021, the German sustained a serious knee injury and there were those who thought it would be the end of a long and successful career.
I feel like people have already counted me. Of course, knowing the path I left behind and having the opportunity to be complete and to be able to perform like this makes me proud. Bob says it means a lot and continues:
– I have to thank everyone who helped me here. Everyone who motivated me during rehab, the coaches who gave me the opportunity. It makes me so proud and I’m incredibly happy.
“Hide in the Cluster”
The star recovered but the idea was not that Bob, despite all his routine, would play the main role in Germany’s Vos-Tecklenburg.
In the opening match against Denmark, the striker started on the bench. With half an hour left, she replaced the first choice in the round of nine, Leah Schuller.
With only a few minutes left, a cross came from Sidney Loman and Bob put your skull on. Its first target in EC.
– You need to hide in the group. Bob himself told the German media there were tears of joy.
When Leah Schuler later tested positive for Corona, the Wolfsburg striker had a chance from the start. Since then, “Poppi”, as it is called, has only continued to make history.
– I think it was important to score in the first match. She felt that this was the crucial point that sparked all the energy, as she herself told the German Football Association.
Leading the archery league
To gather energy between matches, Alexandra Pope took every opportunity available. The trained zookeeper, who worked in a zoo early in his career, was at the London Zoo during the European Championships, among other things.
The striker scored in all Germany’s matches in this tournament and with two goals in the semi-finals, and she is tied for the top scorer in the league.
When the results come in, her teammate Lina Oberdorf shines.
– She’s amazing, quite frankly. No one expected her to be so strong in this tournament. She was injured almost all season, came back and injured herself again. Then we had the camp before the European Commission and it hit the virus, so no one thought it would be at that level now, says the midfielder who is himself a huge part of the German success and continues:
– I’m just proud of her. Hold the ball and keep it calm. Every time I get so excited she says “Obi, relax.” It’s important to me and I think it’s important to the whole team.
“Hope for a happy ending”
Before the European Commission, not many people mentioned the German champion as one of the main favorites to win the gold medal.
“I’ve played in the national team for ten years, but I honestly haven’t experienced the team spirit that we have in this team before and that’s what makes it so special,” says Bob.
– I hope there is a big and happy ending.
Gathering her emotions and celebrating long and hard on the field, she left the arena in Milton Keynes with a thumbs up for the Sportbladet photographer.
The spectator is set for Wembley and another UEFA title for Germany. Ninth in a row for most champions, and first for Alexandra Pope.
