James Rowe recently spoke to Dutch Ladies midfielder Jackie Groenen. They talked about the triumph of winning UEFA Women’s Euro 2017. Her time at Chelsea Ladies in England and her current club Frankfurt Ladies in Germany.
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Below is a transcript of the interview.
JR: ”You signed for Frankfurt Ladies in 2015. Are you enjoying your time at the club? ”
JG: ”I am really enjoying myself at Frankfurt Ladies. I have been here 3 years and I must say that I really feel at home. Frankfurt is a great city and the people are really friendly too. I have really found my home here. It is an honor for me to play football in Germany and I am happy to be here.”
JR: ”Before signing for Frankfurt Ladies you spent the 2014 – 2015 season at Chelsea Ladies in England. How do you look back on your time at the club? ”
JG: ”I had a great experience when playing for Chelsea Ladies in England. Before arriving there I was playing for MSV Duisburg in Germany and I wanted a new challenge and I found that at Chelsea Ladies. The experience held me in good stead to grow as a footballer and to eventually sign for Frankfurt Ladies. ”
JR: ”What was it like for you to play in the English League for Chelsea Ladies. Did you find it a difficult league to play in?”
JG: ”I enjoyed playing in the English League. The pace of the games were frenetic with quick counter attacks and teams looking to attack as often as possible. In Germany the league is much more tactical which I enjoy. It was great to experience playing football in another country abroad. I lived in Cobham not far from the Chelsea FC training complex. Cobham is a very nice village not too far from London which was great for when family and friends would come to visit. ”
JR: ”You mentioned playing for MSV Duisburg. Did you make a deliberate choice to go to Germany from the Netherlands? ”
JG: ”I have never played professional football in the Netherlands. I played with the boys at SV Rood-Wit Veldhoven. My first steps in professional football in Germany were for Essen-Schonebeck where I played for 6 months and from there I went to MSV Duisberg. It was a complete coincidence because at the age of 15, I wanted to continue playing with the boys at Rood-Wit Veldhoven up until the age of 19 as permitted and that was my goal. I was watching a match in Germany involving Essen Schonebeck v MSV Duisburg and I really enjoyed it. After the match I spoke with the manager of Essen Schonebeck and asked if I could train with them and become involved in their team. The reaction was one of surprise because you normally have a whole scouting system regarding new players. After receiving the call from the manager and training with the squad Essen Schonebeck offered me a contract. A nice coincidence in any case. ”
JR: ”Can I ask about the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 triumph and winning the title on home soil. What do you think of when you look back on that marvelous achievement? ”
JG: ”It was really special and it still feels like only yesterday and very fresh in the memory. People often remind us of what we have done and we now enjoy even more what we have achieved. It’s difficult to describe. But we are just so proud of what we achieved together for our country. There was a great togetherness in our squad.”
JR: ”What do you feel was the most difficult match of the tournament? ”
JG: ”The most difficult match of the tournament was in my opinion the second match of the group phase against Denmark due to that fact that we did not play very well during that match. Denmark was a good team but managed to secure a 1-0 victory. The semi-final against England was also tough and of course the final itself due to it being the climax of the tournament. I believe our best performances were against Norway and England.”
JR: ”Can you say who is the best player that you have ever played with?”
JG: ”I believe my former Frankfurt Ladies teammate Dzsenifer Marozsan is the best player I have played with and if I could mention another player it would be my former Chelsea Ladies teammate Ji-So-yun. She is a Korean midfielder of fantastic quality.”
JR: ”Who is the most difficult opponent that you have faced? ”
JG: ”I think that the most difficult opponent that I have ever faced is Danish striker Pernille Harder. She is so skillful and agile. I believe that we play in a similar way and for me at times it is quiet difficult to estimate how I will deal with such opponents. ”
JR: ”Finally Jackie who is the best manager that you have played under? ”
JG: ”I learned an awful lot from Colin Bell at Frankfurt Ladies who is currently manager of Republic of Ireland Ladies team. I am learning a lot from my current manager Niko Arnautis. But I must also mention Foppe de Haan and our current Dutch national team manager Sarina Wiegman. There are a lot of managers that have contributed different factors in helping me to become a better footballer.”
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