Doris Fitschen

Midfielder Doris Fitschen was a member of the German female football squad that was eliminated in the group stage at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Four years later at Sydney, she won the bronze medal. In 1989, 1991, 1997, and 2001 she won the European Championships. Due to a knee injury, she could not participate in the 1995 Europeans and that year’s World Cup. She was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. Fitschen won 144 international caps and scored 16 goals. She was considered one the most successful German women’s soccer players.

At club level, Fitschen played with VfR Eintracht Wolfsburg (1988-92), TSV Siegen (1992-96), 1. FFC Frankfurt (1996-2001), and finally with Philadelphia Charge in the United States for one season, when she was named WUSA Defensive Player of the Year. In 1994 and 1996 she won the German national title with Siegen, and with Frankfurt in 1999 and 2001. She also won the German Cup four times in 1993 and 1999-2001.

Fitschen trained as a systems analyzer at Volkswagen Wolfsburg. From 1993-96 she was a freelance sports reporter with Westdeutscher Rundfunk (West German Broadcasting). In 2000, she completed her soccer teaching licence and joined the marketing department of the German Football Association. From 2009-16 Fitschen managed the German Women’s National Team. She was inducted into the German Soccer Hall of Fame.