Anja Mittag played her 150th international match at the SheBelieves Cup in the USA. The 31-year-old is, therefore, the most-capped player in Steffi Jones’ squad for the match against Canada on Sunday in Erfurt. (15:00 CEST).
Mittag would have wanted a different result in her 150th match, however, as the Germans went down 1-0 to the USA. In Kerstin Stegemann (191), Ariane Hingst (174) and Bettina Wiegmann (154), only four female players have represented Germany more times than Mittag. She is also one of the stand-out personalities in the Germany team and in the history of the women’s game in Germany. She will be recognised for her services to Germany in Erfurt by DFB Vice-President Hannelore Ratzeburg.
Mittag: "150 really is a great amount"
"150 really is a great amount. You never imagine playing that many when you make your international debut,“ said Mittag. "You only play a few matches a year and therefore you have to play for a long time to reach this amount. That’s cool and makes me very proud. It’s an honour to reach this number." She made her debut 13 years ago when she came on as a half-time substitute in a 1-0 win over Italy. "Since then a lot has happened. It’s got a lot more physically draining and quicker. A lot of teams have improved and the highest level is now a lot broader. A lot of nations can now equip themselves well technically, tactically and physically. That’s a great development for the women’s game." Howeevr, Mittag has developed too, whereas many others haven’t been able to.
Mittag has won nearly everything there is to win. The Champions League, the German Championship four times, the DFB Pokal three times, the World Cup, the European Championship three times and of course a gold medal at the Olympics. "We’ve had success with Germany and each individual has their own story to tell and that means a lot to me," said Mittag. "The Olympic victory in 2016 is still very fresh in the memory. It was the first ever gold for the Germany women’s team. That really was quite special."
Return to FC Rosengard
Anja Mittag was always a unique player who rarely took the conventional route. As a result, it comes as no surprise that she’s used football as a means of seeing the world. She played for Turbine Potsdam, as well as FC Rosengard and QBIK Karlstad in Sweden. Recently she was under contract in France with Paris Saint-Germain, before signing with VfL Wolfsburg this past summer. Finally, she announced her immediate return to FC Rosengard at the end of the March.
What’s next? The end is not in sight. Mittag is fit and has a hunger for the game, meaning she will play on. There ought to be a few more international appearances and goals to come. Her next challenge will be the 2017 European Championship in the Netherlands in the Summer, to which the Germany women’s national team go into as defending champions and favourites. Following her transfer in the summer, an experienced player like Anja Mittag stays especially focused: “I’ve learned a lot in all my years and am thankful for the trust that I’ve received. My role in the team is now something else, as I take on a lot more responsibility now than I did before.” Perhaps there are another 200 games to come – who knows?
