- Nia Künzer
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Nia Künzer, DFB Cup in Aschheim 24.03.2008
Nia Künzer (born January 18, 1980) is a retired German women's football player.
Contents
Early life
She was born in Mochudi, Botswana as Nia Tsholofelo Künzer (her first name being Swahili for "aim" or "intention"), where her parents were on a two year's tour with a development aid organization. She grew up in the Albert-Schweitzer-Kinderdorf (children's village) in Wetzlar-Garbenheim, alongside her brother and seven foster-children. After the Abitur she did a year of practical training in social work in a Kindergarten for handicapped children. In 2008 she completed a degree in education science (German title Diplompädagogin) at the Justus Liebig University Giessen.
Career
Having a history as a high jumper, and after being a member of football clubs Eintracht Wetzlar and VfB Gießen she was with 1. FFC Frankfurt (1st Frankfurt Women's Football Club) starting 1997. She was playing as a defender or midfielder. Künzer retired in July 2008 from professional football after an injury.
International career
Her Golden Goal in the final match against Sweden made Germany the winner of the 2003 World Cup and was to become the first ever women's "Goal of the Year" in the history of German football. When together with her team-mates she stood on the balcony of the Frankfurter Römer, to be welcomed by thousands of fans, it also marked the end of German women's football long sleep of 30 years, with the news media taking more than marginal interest and the first major sponsors (e.g. Katjes Fassin) appearing on the scene.
She actively promotes the idea of women's soccer and helps in recruiting from the next generation of enthusiastic young girls.
During the winter of 2003/2004 she had to pause for several weeks due to one more cruciate ligament injury, which meant she was not available for the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens, Greece. A fourth cruciate ligament injury forced Künzer to resign from the national team in 2006.
TV career
Künzer is also working as a TV sports commentator.
External links
- Nia Künzer (personal homepage)
- Deutscher Fußball-Bund (German Soccer Assn) (portrait Nia Künzer)
- FIFA Women's World Cup (portrait Nia Künzer, in German)
- The San Diego Union-Tribune ("Heads-up Germany stuns Sweden" – October 13, 2003)
- Westdeutscher Rundfunk (audio in German: "Arrival in Frankfurt" – October 14, 2003)
- Nia Künzer at the Internet Movie Database
Germany squad – 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Rottenberg • 2 Stegemann • 3 Bresonik • 4 Künzer • 5 Jones • 6 Lingor • 7 Wunderlich • 8 Smisek • 9 Prinz • 10 Wiegmann • 11 Müller • 12 Fuss • 13 Minnert • 14 Meinert • 15 Angerer • 16 Odebrecht • 17 Hingst • 18 Garefrekes • 19 Gottschlich • 20 Pohlers • Coach: Theune-Meyer
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