FFC Wacker Munich is about to crown a successful season. This Saturday (3:30 p.m.) is the final of the BFV association cup against the Würzburger Kickers for a place in the DFB cup. In an interview, Janine Gibson (22) from the regional league talks about the important duel and a big dream.
Janine Gibson, how did your passion for football come about?
I started playing soccer when I was in kindergarten. I was generally active as a kid and also played other sports like judo, handball or volleyball, but there was more passion and fire in football. The boys took me with them and I was actually always on the soccer field. Every day. Thanks to a special permit, I played with the boys until I was a junior, that time was very helpful and also gave me a lot in terms of football. I would have played there longer.
A coach once said to you: “Better join the third team.” How did you deal with that?
For me it was a very big setback because I was told I was too bad. Even for the second team. I wanted to prove it to everyone who didn’t believe in me. I gave everything and made it into the first team. If you want to attack at the top, you have to sacrifice a lot, also privately. Then there’s not much going on with partying every weekend. My goal is very clear: I want to become a professional!
You approach your path to becoming a professional very meticulously.
The time on the bench was really bad for me. At some point I said to myself: It can’t go on like this! I have to change something! Cristiano Ronaldo has become my role model. I’ve seen what can be optimized outside of the football field. I changed my diet, continued to work on my fitness and made my life more football-focused. That paid off.
What are your goals with FFC Wacker Munich?
Promotion to the second Bundesliga is possible and clearly our goal. We’re a very strong team on the pitch and our board is really stepping on the gas. In general, the club has developed significantly in recent years. The work here is very professional, everything is at a high level. There is the perfect infrastructure for us players.
They are in the cup final and could move into the DFB Cup. What makes the team so strong?
Our will! We stick together, everyone runs for everyone. We realized again during the season that we don’t need to hide from anyone and that we still have a lot of potential. You can see this will in every training session, everyone is burning for success. We are highly motivated for the final and want to win the title!
More spectators in the stadiums, more presence on TV: women’s football is on the rise. Do you feel that in the regional league too?
I’m very happy that women’s football is developing like this. The European Championships proved that impressively. People are talking about completely different numbers than a few years ago. We’ve noticed that interest is growing, too. There are more spectators, I am asked more often about football. The development is great, we can gladly continue like this.
Do you dream of playing in such a big stadium?
Everyone who plays soccer probably dreams of that. The growing number of spectators is also a huge motivation for young players. We see what is now possible. We are offered an ever larger stage. There have already been games that took place in front of such a gigantic crowd as the men’s. It would be crazy to stand there on the pitch.
Will the jubilation of your role model Cristiano Ronaldo then be shown?
I’ve already unpacked it (laughs). I can well imagine showing the celebration in a big stadium.
FFC Wacker Munich, young and dynamic: The goal of FFC Wacker Munich is clear: back to the 2nd Bundesliga! “Our goal is to establish ourselves in the league and to further expand and professionalize our training structures,” says CEO Salih Aydogan: “We are working bit by bit to be licensed by the DFB as a youth academy for girls and women.” A new infrastructure is also needed for this, the district sports facility Demleitnerstraße is not sufficient for the demands of the ambitious and successful club. “We are young, dynamic and very agile in our actions. Just like a start-up company,” says Aydogan.
Interview: Nico-Marius Schmitz and Nikolas Caleta
2023-06-08 13:14:41
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