‘True legend’ – Boris Becker leads tributes as German football icon and winner of four Euros Doris Fitschen dies aged 56
BORIS BECKER has led the tributes to German football legend Doris Fitschen, who has tragically passed away aged 56.
Fitschen, who is one of German sport’s most iconic figures, has sadly lost her battle with cancer.
The midfielder’s passing has rocked the German sports world, with several prominent figures paying their respects on social media.
Tennis icon Becker wrote on X: “A true legend in German sports has sadly passed away.
“Rest in peace, Doris Fitschen.”
The late Fitschen was one of the most successful players in the history of German football.
She won seven Bundesliga titles and six German Cups during her stints with TSV Siegen and Eintracht Frankfurt.
And she won a whopping FOUR STRAIGHT Uefa Women’s Championships with Germany, lifting the trophy in 1989, 1991, 1995 and 2001.
Fitschen made 114 appearances for her country from 1986 to 2001, scoring 16 goals in the process.
Injury forced her to hang up her boots at the end of 2001, aged 32.
Bernd Neuendorf – the President of the German FA – also paid tribute to the late Fitschen, who was regarded by many to be one of Germany‘s greatest-ever players.
He said: “I am shocked and very sad about Doris’s death.
“Our thoughts are with her family, all relatives, and her close friends.
“Doris was one of the defining figures in football in.
“As a player, she was a leader, a strategist, and had a presence, dominance, and aura that others could look up to.”
Fitschen’s former club, Eintracht Frankfurt, also put out a heartfelt statement upon learning of her death.
It read: “We mourn the loss of a former FFC player and a key figure in German women’s football: Doris Fitschen died yesterday after a long and serious illness at the age of 56
“Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.”
Bianca Rech – the Director of Women’s Football at Bayern Munich – wrote: “It is with great sorrow that I bid farewell to a valued teammate and an outstanding role model.
“Her dedication, professionalism, and tireless commitment on and off the field were always a source of inspiration to all of us.”