Euro 2013: Young Champions — Lena Lotzen + Leonie Maier

Nicole Werner interviews two of Germany’s Euro 2013 winners, both newly signed by Bayern Munich. Lena Lotzen calls standing on the balcony of Frankfurt’s town hall with the trophy indescribable, so many people cheering on an ordinary working day; Leonie Maier calls it an honour. With injuries stripping the squad, both say a rocky start forced young players into new responsibilities and that this made them strong. Lotzen, on ten caps before the finals, says nerves vanish once she is on the pitch, and that learning to cope with a bad game against Norway and to grind one out against Italy aided her development. Both see other nations catching Germany. The page closes with the final: a Norway goal disallowed, two penalties saved by Nadine Angerer, Sian Massey on the line and Anja Mittag’s 49th-minute winner.