The 3-0 victory against Montenegro in European Championship qualifying was Dzsenifer Marozsan’s 100th international. The 28-year-old playmaker discusses the significance of the landmark, the best moments in her career and the importance of family in interview with DFB.de.
DFB.de: Dzsenifer Marozsan, what does it mean to have played your 100th game for Germany?
Dzsenifer Marozsan: I got goosebumps when I was thinking about it earlier. I think it’s an unbelievable honour. Not everyone can say they’ve achieved that. It’s a special day, and I’ll enjoy it. I never thought this would happen at the start of my career.
DFB.de: Can you still remember your debut for Germany?
Marozsan: It was in Wolfsburg in October 2010 against Australia (2-1). I don’t remember much from the game itself, but I still remember being substituted on in place of Birgit Prinz aged 18 – I had butterflies. I remember how she came over to me to high five. It was a great moment. Playing your first game for the women’s national side – it’s really gets you pumped up. (laughs)
DFB.de: How do you feel when you look back on your career?
Marozsan: A lot has happened, ten years is a really long time. There were lots of highs and lows. I’ve definitely developed both as a person and as a player. I was really young, I had a lot to learn. I think that I can pass on my experience now to the young players. We have a lot of talented players who give it their all in training.
DFB.de: It’s well known that you have a strong bond with your family. How much does it hurt not having your parents or brother at this special occasion and how are you staying in contact with them?
Marozsan: My dad, mum and brother are with me in my heart like always – they’re always with me! I’ll phone them just before we set off like before every game. That’s a great motivator for me every time. It’s really important to me that I do that. I know that they’re really close to me even when they can’t be in the stadium.
DFB.de: Just like this summer, there won’t be a big tournament for the Germany women’s side next summer. Do you start looking towards the 2022 EUROs in England or even the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand now?
Marozsan: Since Coronavirus, you can’t look so far ahead anymore. The dates are set, but it can all change. It’s a lot better to take things a day at a time. We have to play the rest of the European Championship qualifiers first, and then we’ll hopefully be at the 2022 EUROs in England. If I’m still fit and healthy in 2023, it’s obviously my goal to play in another World Cup. I’ll almost be 32 then – but why not? It’s the only title that I’m missing, but I’m not putting myself under any pressure to win it.
DFB.de: You’ve just won the Women’s Champions League for the fifth time, the fourth time in a row with Olympique Lyon. But this time it was a little different due to the restrictions imposed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. How did you find it?
Marozsan: We obviously went into is as the favourites as the holders, but we didn’t succumb to the pressure that comes with that. That makes me proud and happy. We made history, but it was really unique because the feeling was a little odd. We celebrated on the pitch and in the dressing room and headed back to Lyon, but then there was no more time to celebrate. Sadly, it didn’t feel like anything particularly special. I got loads of messages afterwards, including from my teammates with Germany.
DFB.de: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said that you’re under huge pressure mentally to win title after title at such an ambitious club. Would you agree?
Marozsan: It gets harder and harder to win the Champions League each year. All the big clubs have had enough of us doing well. We can feel in every game, in every tackle, that the opposition want to finally beat us – we saw that against FC Bayern and VfL Wolfsburg.
DFB.de: The clubs in England have strengthened a great deal in the summer break. Why have you stayed in Lyon?
Marozsan: I’m glad that women’s football is making great strides in England. If you invest a lot, you can be successful. I had an offer from England. The league has become really attractive, it’s really competitive, but Lyon is the best club for me. The president (Jean-Michel Aulas) doesn’t see any difference between the men’s or women’s side. I feel valued and enjoy every day in Lyon. It’s going great. It was definitely the right decision to make to come here. All is well, I have a great life.
[mmc/ha]
The 3-0 victory against Montenegro in European Championship qualifying was Dzsenifer Marozsan’s 100th international. The 28-year-old playmaker discusses the significance of the landmark, the best moments in her career and the importance of family in interview with DFB.de.
DFB.de: Dzsenifer Marozsan, what does it mean to have played your 100th game for Germany?
Dzsenifer Marozsan: I got goosebumps when I was thinking about it earlier. I think it’s an unbelievable honour. Not everyone can say they’ve achieved that. It’s a special day, and I’ll enjoy it. I never thought this would happen at the start of my career.
DFB.de: Can you still remember your debut for Germany?
Marozsan: It was in Wolfsburg in October 2010 against Australia (2-1). I don’t remember much from the game itself, but I still remember being substituted on in place of Birgit Prinz aged 18 – I had butterflies. I remember how she came over to me to high five. It was a great moment. Playing your first game for the women’s national side – it’s really gets you pumped up. (laughs)
DFB.de: How do you feel when you look back on your career?
Marozsan: A lot has happened, ten years is a really long time. There were lots of highs and lows. I’ve definitely developed both as a person and as a player. I was really young, I had a lot to learn. I think that I can pass on my experience now to the young players. We have a lot of talented players who give it their all in training.
DFB.de: It’s well known that you have a strong bond with your family. How much does it hurt not having your parents or brother at this special occasion and how are you staying in contact with them?
Marozsan: My dad, mum and brother are with me in my heart like always – they’re always with me! I’ll phone them just before we set off like before every game. That’s a great motivator for me every time. It’s really important to me that I do that. I know that they’re really close to me even when they can’t be in the stadium.
DFB.de: Just like this summer, there won’t be a big tournament for the Germany women’s side next summer. Do you start looking towards the 2022 EUROs in England or even the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand now?
Marozsan: Since Coronavirus, you can’t look so far ahead anymore. The dates are set, but it can all change. It’s a lot better to take things a day at a time. We have to play the rest of the European Championship qualifiers first, and then we’ll hopefully be at the 2022 EUROs in England. If I’m still fit and healthy in 2023, it’s obviously my goal to play in another World Cup. I’ll almost be 32 then – but why not? It’s the only title that I’m missing, but I’m not putting myself under any pressure to win it.
DFB.de: You’ve just won the Women’s Champions League for the fifth time, the fourth time in a row with Olympique Lyon. But this time it was a little different due to the restrictions imposed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. How did you find it?
Marozsan: We obviously went into is as the favourites as the holders, but we didn’t succumb to the pressure that comes with that. That makes me proud and happy. We made history, but it was really unique because the feeling was a little odd. We celebrated on the pitch and in the dressing room and headed back to Lyon, but then there was no more time to celebrate. Sadly, it didn’t feel like anything particularly special. I got loads of messages afterwards, including from my teammates with Germany.
DFB.de: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said that you’re under huge pressure mentally to win title after title at such an ambitious club. Would you agree?
Marozsan: It gets harder and harder to win the Champions League each year. All the big clubs have had enough of us doing well. We can feel in every game, in every tackle, that the opposition want to finally beat us – we saw that against FC Bayern and VfL Wolfsburg.
DFB.de: The clubs in England have strengthened a great deal in the summer break. Why have you stayed in Lyon?
Marozsan: I’m glad that women’s football is making great strides in England. If you invest a lot, you can be successful. I had an offer from England. The league has become really attractive, it’s really competitive, but Lyon is the best club for me. The president (Jean-Michel Aulas) doesn’t see any difference between the men’s or women’s side. I feel valued and enjoy every day in Lyon. It’s going great. It was definitely the right decision to make to come here. All is well, I have a great life.
