The women’s international friendly between England and Germany on the 26th Novermber (18:00 CET) in Duisburg will be a special occasion for Celia Sasic for a number of reasons: Before kick-off, the 27-year-old, along with Nadine Angerer will say her farewells. Both of them played their final competitive career game in the third-place playoff against England in the World Cup in Canada.
In Duisburg, Celia Sasic will be presented with the Golden Boot from the 2015 World Cup. There is a close connection with the location as well: Milan Sasic, Celia’s father-in-law, was once manager of MSV Duisburg. Celia spoke to DFB.de about the classic tie against England, her farewell after ten years in the national side and her memories of Duisburg.
DFB.de: How emotional will it be for you when you go to Duisburg on the 26th November for the international friendly?
Celia Sasic: I’m actually just really excited to see all my old teammates. We’ve been through a lot together. My time with the national side has been a big part of my life. Ten years of the 27 I’ve been alive for is a very long time. So I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again, being in the ground and getting a chance to run out on the pitch as well.
DFB.de: You and Nadine Angerer will both say your farewells before the game. What does this mean to you?
Sasic: It means a great deal to me. Nadine is one of the players who has played alongside me right from the start. I can still remember my very first international game when we were sitting on the bench together and Nadine introduced me to everything. We’ve had a lot of fun along the way, so I’m extremely happy to now be bowing out with her.
DFB.de: And you both played your final international game against England…
Sasic: I would have been happy with any opponent for my send off. But England are a top side, and the fact that it was the last game of our World Cup campaign means there will be a special atmosphere. So despite having lost the third-place playoff, I’m looking forward to the game and have lots of good memories with England.
DFB.de: Before the game you will be presented with the Golden Boot from the World Cup in Canada. Will this be a personal highlight for you?
Sasic: Of course! It’s a tremendous achievement to finish the World Cup as top goalscorer. The biggest personal feat of the whole competition. I’m very excited to receive the golden boot. The World Cup was a while ago now, but still means a lot to us all. I will savour the moment.
DFB.de: Your career has been full of success stories. Are there two moments that stand out; one as the highlight, and the other as a moment you’d have preferred not to experience?
Sasic: I don’t want to pick out any one moment, because there are so many of them. Take for example all the title wins, which all had their own story behind them. And yes there were situations which I would have chosen to avoid. But in hindsight those experiences all shaped me as the player I was. I could have happily gone without breaking my shin, but even that is a part of me now.
DFB.de: Your father-in-law Milan Sasic coached MSV Duisburg, and actually took the Zebras to the 2011 DFB-Cup final. Did you ever watch the team play? And are MSV Duisburg still a talking point in the Sasic family?
Sasic: I was often watching in the stadium in Duisburg back then, and was well behind the team. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be there for the big cup final because we were preparing for the World Cup. I remember it vividly; we had a friendly on the same day. I have fond memories of those times.
DFB.de: What kind of an atmosphere are you expecting in Duisburg? And what are you hoping for from your old teammates?
Sasic: We’ve played in Duisburg in the past and there has always been a good atmosphere in the ground. It’s obviously special to be playing against England, it’s the last game of the year and the players will be giving everything. I hope my old teammates have a fantastic game. I want the girls to enjoy themselves and show what they can do. It will be a great game.
DFB.de: Could it be a weird feeling for you being a spectator?
Sasic: I think Nadine will be distracting me so much that I won’t even have time to think about it (laughs). Obviously I know how good it feels to be out on the pitch scoring goals. But it was my decision to resign and I can therefore watch on positively and enjoy the game as a spectator.
created by mmc/dw
The women’s international friendly between England and Germany on the 26th Novermber (18:00 CET) in Duisburg will be a special occasion for Celia Sasic for a number of reasons: Before kick-off, the 27-year-old, along with Nadine Angerer will say her farewells. Both of them played their final competitive career game in the third-place playoff against England in the World Cup in Canada.
In Duisburg, Celia Sasic will be presented with the Golden Boot from the 2015 World Cup. There is a close connection with the location as well: Milan Sasic, Celia’s father-in-law, was once manager of MSV Duisburg. Celia spoke to DFB.de about the classic tie against England, her farewell after ten years in the national side and her memories of Duisburg.
DFB.de: How emotional will it be for you when you go to Duisburg on the 26th November for the international friendly?
Celia Sasic: I’m actually just really excited to see all my old teammates. We’ve been through a lot together. My time with the national side has been a big part of my life. Ten years of the 27 I’ve been alive for is a very long time. So I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again, being in the ground and getting a chance to run out on the pitch as well.
DFB.de: You and Nadine Angerer will both say your farewells before the game. What does this mean to you?
Sasic: It means a great deal to me. Nadine is one of the players who has played alongside me right from the start. I can still remember my very first international game when we were sitting on the bench together and Nadine introduced me to everything. We’ve had a lot of fun along the way, so I’m extremely happy to now be bowing out with her.
DFB.de: And you both played your final international game against England…
Sasic: I would have been happy with any opponent for my send off. But England are a top side, and the fact that it was the last game of our World Cup campaign means there will be a special atmosphere. So despite having lost the third-place playoff, I’m looking forward to the game and have lots of good memories with England.
DFB.de: Before the game you will be presented with the Golden Boot from the World Cup in Canada. Will this be a personal highlight for you?
Sasic: Of course! It’s a tremendous achievement to finish the World Cup as top goalscorer. The biggest personal feat of the whole competition. I’m very excited to receive the golden boot. The World Cup was a while ago now, but still means a lot to us all. I will savour the moment.
DFB.de: Your career has been full of success stories. Are there two moments that stand out; one as the highlight, and the other as a moment you’d have preferred not to experience?
Sasic: I don’t want to pick out any one moment, because there are so many of them. Take for example all the title wins, which all had their own story behind them. And yes there were situations which I would have chosen to avoid. But in hindsight those experiences all shaped me as the player I was. I could have happily gone without breaking my shin, but even that is a part of me now.
DFB.de: Your father-in-law Milan Sasic coached MSV Duisburg, and actually took the Zebras to the 2011 DFB-Cup final. Did you ever watch the team play? And are MSV Duisburg still a talking point in the Sasic family?
Sasic: I was often watching in the stadium in Duisburg back then, and was well behind the team. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be there for the big cup final because we were preparing for the World Cup. I remember it vividly; we had a friendly on the same day. I have fond memories of those times.
DFB.de: What kind of an atmosphere are you expecting in Duisburg? And what are you hoping for from your old teammates?
Sasic: We’ve played in Duisburg in the past and there has always been a good atmosphere in the ground. It’s obviously special to be playing against England, it’s the last game of the year and the players will be giving everything. I hope my old teammates have a fantastic game. I want the girls to enjoy themselves and show what they can do. It will be a great game.
DFB.de: Could it be a weird feeling for you being a spectator?
Sasic: I think Nadine will be distracting me so much that I won’t even have time to think about it (laughs). Obviously I know how good it feels to be out on the pitch scoring goals. But it was my decision to resign and I can therefore watch on positively and enjoy the game as a spectator.
