Kleinherne upsets Brazilians
Shitstorm after Neymar’s statement leaves the DFB professional cold
07/19/2023, 3:28 p.m
Women’s football is more approachable and honest, says Sophia Kleinherne. In addition, according to the German national player, there is no “female Neymar” who is on the ground for a long time after fouls. This brings her digital trouble from Brazil shortly before the World Cup.
National player Sophia Kleinherne was surprised by violent negative reactions from Brazil to her statement about Neymar’s penchant for acting after fouls. “I didn’t think it would go viral in Brazil. Especially since it wasn’t meant to be a criticism of Neymar. Anyone who knows me knows what I meant,” said the footballer when asked at the World Cup press conference in Wyong, Australia .
The defender of the Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt spoke in the German edition of the men’s magazine “Playboy” last week about possible reasons why, according to a survey, German female soccer players are currently more popular than their male colleagues. Among other things, Kleinherne explained that the female soccer players were more approachable and would inspire the fans with “honest soccer”. “I don’t know of any female Neymar. For example, I don’t know any player who stays down for two or three minutes,” said the 23-year-old.
This saying made waves in Brazil, where Neymar is worshiped by the fans as an idol. “Everyone knows what Neymar embodies there, so the comments from Brazil are a little different,” said Kleinherne, who scored her first international goal last year on her way to runner-up in the European Championship, about the shitstorm on social networks.
She sees no reason to have to “justify or apologize” anyway: “I don’t get that much of the discussion because of the time difference,” said Kleinherne and assured: “But I manage quite well to get away from these comments distance.” In any case, her “focus is also fully on the World Cup: “I can’t deal with trivialities that much.”
The team of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg starts next Monday (10.30 a.m. CEST/ZDF and in the live ticker on ntv.de) in Melbourne against the World Cup debutants Morocco in the finals in Australia and New Zealand. Then it’s off against Colombia (Sunday, July 30, 11:30 a.m. CEST) and South Korea (Thursday, August 3, 12:00 p.m. CEST) for a place in the round of 16.