You don’t need a doctor to figure out how Sarah Romert caught a cold... just ask any overprotective Bengali mother. Yep, she’s been playing football in the rain. The former Bayern Munich footballer is in Calcutta to train the kids at the German Football Academy. We caught up with the 22-year-old at Novotel...

Are you enjoying the rain?

It’s perfect… no! (Laughs) It’s raining all day in Germany as well, but it’s colder, only 14 degrees. So it’s better here. It’s football weather in Germany!

How did football start for you? 

I have two elder brothers and two elder sisters, and except for one sister, everyone else played soccer. One of them would always be playing soccer at home or in the garden, so ever since I could walk, I have been playing soccer. 
When I was four, I started playing for my village club in Buxheim, which had only 3,000 people. In Germany in every village, there’s at least one football club. I moved to a bigger club in the next city at Memmingen, which plays in the fourth division of German football, where I would train with the boys. 

Is that quite common in Germany?

Yeah, you start playing with the boys and most of the teams in the villages have mixed teams. It was fun but also harder to play with them, so I played for as long as I could with them. The really good girls play with the boys till they’re 15-16. I think I was good enough to play with them. I didn’t mind going in rough... it was just normal for me. I had grown up with this. After that some of the boys usually start liking the girls in some other way so then it stops (laughs). But I was always focused on football. 

Who did you grow up supporting?

Borussia Dortmund… all of my brothers and sisters are Dortmund fans, and when I was about to sign for Bayern, they were like, why can’t you go to Dortmund? (Smiles)
I really liked Tomas Rosicky from Dortmund and Michael Ballack. These two were my idols when I was 10 or something. 

When did Bayern Munich come calling?

Bayern offered me the chance to join the U-17 girls when I was 13. But I turned it down because I felt it was much better for me to play with boys. So I decided not to go to Munich that early. I also started playing for Germany U-15 around that time. 

You turned Bayern down?!

I always knew I was good enough to play for Bayern at some point, and I thought it was too early for me to go at 13.... But I couldn’t really keep playing with the boys forever. So when I was 16, I was a little confused between Bayern and SC Freiburg, who have a good women’s team. But two of my best friends, who were my German teammates, were playing for Munich, it’s an hour from my hometown, so I decided on Munich. 

You always wanted to be a central midfielder?

As a youngster I was more of a defender. But when I was a 10-11, I started playing in midfield. I like playing in midfield because I like to defend and also help out in attack. When I signed for Bayern, the coach played me at right back, but soon he realised that I like the ball and can play good passes and after a couple of months, I starting playing centre midfield. 

How was it playing for Bayern?

The first season was tough. I was injured a little, had severe fever. It had a lot of ups and downs. I was living there on my own and also finishing my school, so had to organise my whole life alone from this point. But I eventually got used to it. My dad was my biggest supporter. He was with me for nearly every game. Especially when I was injured they were coming for nearly every home match just to be with me. In Germany it’s not like, ‘You can’t play football because you have to look after the family’.

Did you meet the Bayern Munich superstars?

The men are usually very private. They have their own rooms and training spaces. We would have lunch at the Saebener Strasse, but the men would be in their own rooms. There was a year when we won the Bundesliga and so had the men’s team, so there was a double party. But none of us were like, ‘Can we take pictures?’ We would dance and they would be there as well, but it was normal. The younger ones like David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich are really nice. But it’s not like we hang out with them a lot and stuff.

Anybody you were looking forward to meeting?

Yeah, seeing Robert Lewandowski was really cool… also Thiago, he’s one of my favourites. 

How did your knee injury change your life?

It taught me to fight through something and be strong. I had quite a few surgeries and tried to get back to playing, but it just wasn’t to be. I was almost out for two-and-a-half years and came back this April but it wasn’t the same. So at the end of April, I realised my knee wasn’t strong enough to play professional football. I couldn’t imagine playing 90 minutes every week. So I decided to quit playing soccer. It was hard. I hadn’t imagined my life without soccer. But I wanted to be positive and open for something new. 

Who gave you the idea of coaching?

When I was injured I did some training sessions with some kids. I love kids. My brothers and sisters have kids… I have three nephews and three nieces. I think I’m their favourite aunt! I love spending time with kids, so I knew very quickly that I wanted soccer for longer in my life.

Matthias Nowak, co-founder of German Football Academy, was my coach at Bayern and he told me about the academy. Around the time I decided to quit playing, I got in touch with him, he was like ‘Do you want to go to India’? I was like, ‘Yes!’

Once I head back, I’ll get my coaching licence and maybe hold some training sessions with the FC Bayern girls. The trainers who used to train me when I was younger are still there. So they’ve told me, ‘Just come over whenever you want’. So hope I can teach some kids and learn from other trainers. 

Did you have any idea about Indian football?

I used to think Indians only play cricket but I’ve seen how much people in Calcutta love their football. But you don’t have enough fields here. In Germany we have a club, each with two-three big fields in every village… it’s so normal in Germany. I think India needs more grounds, more good coaches and then I think the children will get a platform. 

What is your message to Indian girls who want to grow up and be footballers?

I hope you do like football and if you haven’t tried it... please do! It’s fun and also for girls. Being part of a team and achieving something together is an amazing feeling. 

SARAH’S FAVES

Actor: Jude Law
Actress: Cameron Diaz
Movie: Lion
Music: It changes according to my mood
Goal: I didn’t score lots of goals… maybe five in three seasons. I made a lot of assists though
Player: Xabi Alonso and Thiago
Coach: Uli Hoeness

Rwitoban Deb