For the first time in the history of women's football, the German national team will face Austria. The two sides will meet on October 22nd in Regensburg as they both prepare for the European Championships next year. Steffi Jones’ team will also be facing EURO hosts the Netherlands on October 25th.
But first all focus is aimed at the encounter with Austria. The opponents, who have qualified for a major competition for the first time, are looking forward to the clash with their neighbours, as Laura Feiersinger explained to DFB.de: "We are taking the game seriously," said the Austrian international from SC Sand. "The game was a major topic for us these past few days. Many conversations were held about this match."
DFB.de: Ms. Feiersinger, Austria have qualified for a major competition for the first time. How excited are you about next year's European Championships in the Netherlands?
Laura Feiersinger: Let's put it this way: there were some big celebrations, which we had earned. We are happy and proud to represent Austrian women's football on such a big stage for the first time.
DFB.de: What can the fans look forward to?
Feiersinger: They can definitely look forward to a team that will give everything. We are going to the Netherlands as the underdogs because it will be our first time. We have nothing to lose and have the opportunity to surprise people by achieving positive results. That's what we intend to do.
DFB.de:How big is women's football in Austria?
Feiersinger: It's gradually improving. You can definitely feel that our qualification for the EUROs has provided a boost. But we still have a very, very long road ahead of us. It's not comparable to the situation in Germany.
DFB.de: Austria and Germany will play each other for the first time in the history of women's football in Regensburg. How important is this encounter?
Feiersinger: It's only a friendly. But we are definitely taking the game seriously. Many of my Austrian teammates currently play for clubs in the Allianz Women's Bundesliga. At Sand I play with Nina Burger and Verena Aschauer. The game was a major topic for us these past few days. We had many conversations about this match.
DFB.de: Is Austrian football profiting from the fact that many of their players are active in Germany?
Feiersinger: Definitely. There aren't many countries in this world, where women's football is played at such a professional level as in Germany. It's not a surprise that many of my colleagues are trying to play here and many of them have achieved their goal. It's definitely a big advantage for our national team. I'm convinced that it helped us qualify for the European Championships. Our club football is unfortunately still lagging behind.
DFB.de: You've been in Germany since 2010. After a season with Herforder SV you spent five years at FC Bayern, winning the league title twice. What was it like for you during this time?
Feiersinger: It was fantastic, both from a sporting and personal perspective. When I came to Munich we could only hope for a development like this. Obviously we had the goal to establish ourselves among Germany's top teams, but we never expected that everything would go so quickly and that we would win the title twice. At times it felt like a dream for me. But it wasn’t a dream, it was reality. And it was the product of great team work.
DFB.de: You still decided to join SC Sand this summer. Why?
Feiersinger: In 2014 I suffered a calf and shin bone fracture and was forced out of action for a long time. When I returned, I unfortunately wasn’t playing regularly. But I knew that I needed to play regularly, especially in regard to the European Championships. I had to find my form again and that only works if you play week in and week out. At FC Bayern I wasn't certain that I would get that. That's why I decided, with a heavy heart, to leave FC Bayern.
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For the first time in the history of women's football, the German national team will face Austria. The two sides will meet on October 22nd in Regensburg as they both prepare for the European Championships next year. Steffi Jones’ team will also be facing EURO hosts the Netherlands on October 25th.
But first all focus is aimed at the encounter with Austria. The opponents, who have qualified for a major competition for the first time, are looking forward to the clash with their neighbours, as Laura Feiersinger explained to DFB.de: "We are taking the game seriously," said the Austrian international from SC Sand. "The game was a major topic for us these past few days. Many conversations were held about this match."
DFB.de: Ms. Feiersinger, Austria have qualified for a major competition for the first time. How excited are you about next year's European Championships in the Netherlands?
Laura Feiersinger: Let's put it this way: there were some big celebrations, which we had earned. We are happy and proud to represent Austrian women's football on such a big stage for the first time.
DFB.de: What can the fans look forward to?
Feiersinger: They can definitely look forward to a team that will give everything. We are going to the Netherlands as the underdogs because it will be our first time. We have nothing to lose and have the opportunity to surprise people by achieving positive results. That's what we intend to do.
DFB.de:How big is women's football in Austria?
Feiersinger: It's gradually improving. You can definitely feel that our qualification for the EUROs has provided a boost. But we still have a very, very long road ahead of us. It's not comparable to the situation in Germany.
DFB.de: Austria and Germany will play each other for the first time in the history of women's football in Regensburg. How important is this encounter?
Feiersinger: It's only a friendly. But we are definitely taking the game seriously. Many of my Austrian teammates currently play for clubs in the Allianz Women's Bundesliga. At Sand I play with Nina Burger and Verena Aschauer. The game was a major topic for us these past few days. We had many conversations about this match.
DFB.de: Is Austrian football profiting from the fact that many of their players are active in Germany?
Feiersinger: Definitely. There aren't many countries in this world, where women's football is played at such a professional level as in Germany. It's not a surprise that many of my colleagues are trying to play here and many of them have achieved their goal. It's definitely a big advantage for our national team. I'm convinced that it helped us qualify for the European Championships. Our club football is unfortunately still lagging behind.
DFB.de: You've been in Germany since 2010. After a season with Herforder SV you spent five years at FC Bayern, winning the league title twice. What was it like for you during this time?
Feiersinger: It was fantastic, both from a sporting and personal perspective. When I came to Munich we could only hope for a development like this. Obviously we had the goal to establish ourselves among Germany's top teams, but we never expected that everything would go so quickly and that we would win the title twice. At times it felt like a dream for me. But it wasn’t a dream, it was reality. And it was the product of great team work.
DFB.de: You still decided to join SC Sand this summer. Why?
Feiersinger: In 2014 I suffered a calf and shin bone fracture and was forced out of action for a long time. When I returned, I unfortunately wasn’t playing regularly. But I knew that I needed to play regularly, especially in regard to the European Championships. I had to find my form again and that only works if you play week in and week out. At FC Bayern I wasn't certain that I would get that. That's why I decided, with a heavy heart, to leave FC Bayern.
