Ann-Katrin Berger is made of a different material. The Chelsea goalkeeper's story of struggle and overcoming is one of those that inspires. The German international received her second diagnosis of thyroid cancer last August, two days before playing the Euro Cup final against England. A month later she was defending the goal of the blues again and seven months later, now fully recovered, she emerged as the heroine of Stamford Bridge saving two penalties against the almighty Lyon and sending the defending champion home. Tomorrow (1:30 p.m. Spanish time) she will seek to continue extending her legend against FC Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.
"She's a player who grows in the big moments," said Chelsea coach Emma Hayes after qualifying for the Champions League semifinals thanks to the stellar performance of the German goalkeeper. The best possible definition for a footballer with a resilience within the reach of very few.
She had been in remission for four years after having overcome a first thyroid cancer at the end of 2017. On July 5, while she was concentrating for the Eurocup with the German team, she went for her routine annual check-up. Some indicators came out altered and she began to suspect that something was wrong. She did not say anything to the team, "they had to focus on the Eurocup", and she was winning matches and advancing rounds until two days before the final against England she was confirmed with the worst diagnosis. The cancer had returned.
Some time later, Berger would admit that continuing in the Eurocup kept him "on track". “I didn't want to go home and wait. It was nice to do something and not feel sorry for yourself, ”he confessed to Sky Sports. Even when he returned to the discipline of Chelsea, it would take him a while to break the news to his teammates. And it is that the German goalkeeper clung to football like a shipwrecked man to a lifeboat: "Football saved my mental health because I had something to hold on to and I think that is my main message to anyone who is going through something like that".
Determined to keep playing while undergoing treatment, Berger missed only a few games before donning her gloves again on September 25 to host City. She has played 11 of the 16 league games this season and led her team to the semifinals of the Champions League, leaving behind none other than the current champion. She was named MVP against the Lyons thanks to her heroic performance in the penalty shootout, stopping shots from Renard and Lindsey Horan.
At 32 years old, and after leaving behind two cancers, Ann-Katrin Berger hopes to inspire with her example of courage and determination: "I hope that by sharing my journey I can help others who are in a similar situation."
