During the lunch break, Melanie Leupolz (29) pushes the stroller through the Australian sun.
Walk with her son around the World Cup hotel of the German women’s national soccer team. In the fall of 2022, she and her boyfriend, world champion Sami Khedira (36), became parents. She does not want to talk about her partnership with the ex-soccer star. Leupolz much prefers to tell BamS how lucky she is with her baby – and what she expects from the upcoming World Cup.
BILD am SONNTAG: Ms. Leupolz, you became a mother nine months ago. Now you’ve made the leap into the World Cup squad. How was it to return?
Melanie Leupolz: I have the feeling that I was never away. I was so excited about the European Championships last summer that I felt like part of the team. I know all the girls, got right back into it and never felt like I missed the boat.
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Did you always believe in it?
The World Cup was always present. But I went through the pregnancy very relaxed. The World Cup was always a realistic goal for me. It wasn’t to be expected that everything went so smoothly, but it’s all the nicer.
How are you doing with your son during the World Cup?
I have my nanny with me, who I also have at Chelsea. She is employed by me. The DFB pays for the travel and accommodation. It wouldn’t be possible without her. I want to be a footballer and be able to concentrate. It’s difficult to think like, “Has the little one been properly rubbed with sunscreen?” If I have a few free minutes, I spend them with him. We play a lot and go for walks.
Doesn’t the kid distract you?
No, he is not a distraction, neither for me nor for my teammates. Of course we need the full focus on football. But we are all women, so he puts a smile on everyone’s face. Everyone wants to play with him or cuddle him. He is very welcome.
Are there extra sausages for the only mother in the squad?
I got a bigger room so there is room for a cot. But I do it like at Chelsea: from two days before the game he no longer spends the night with me, but with the nanny so that I get enough sleep. I don’t sleep well after the game anyway, so he can stay with me.
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Source: picture 07/15/2023
Has being a mother changed you?
My manager at Chelsea always said I would come out of pregnancy stronger. And actually I have more looseness, a certain lightness. And I know even more why I play football. From the fitness I feel very good, better than before. I can walk indefinitely. Probably because I have experienced so much hardship. The body becomes more resistant to stress and exertion. The hormones and the smiles of children also give me energy.
A bold step in becoming a mother during career…
I have absolutely no regrets. I always wanted to be a mother early. I knew that getting pregnant during your career was a risk. So I risked everything. But I was always confident that I could make it. I was very ambitious, but also easy-going. Because if it hadn’t worked out with sport, I would still have the most beautiful thing in the world: my child. Having both is the best. The important thing is that he is always the first priority. If I couldn’t do justice to one of the two areas, then of course I would choose it.
How about fitness?
I was able to do sports up to two weeks before the birth and start again two weeks later. I lifted almost twice as much weight in the weight room as I did before I was pregnant. Chelsea also provided me with a pelvic floor trainer. I didn’t know how important that is. But actually it was crucial to have basics again.
What was the reaction in the club when it became clear that you were pregnant?
My manager at Chelsea never put any pressure on me about when I had to be back. That helped. I totally understood the club. I told the coach and the manager. They were just happy. The question never came up as to why I didn’t wait until after my career. When I told Martina (national coach Voss-Tecklenburg; ed.) that I would miss the European Championship, she said that was the best reason for it.
Prima!
Unfortunately, this is not so positive everywhere in Europe. It doesn’t work without support. I think it’s a shame when clubs put pressure on and players have to make decisions. My trainer always offers to bring the little one to training because he is an asset. But I rarely take him to games because then I want to focus on football.
What would you like?
I hope that the clubs will be more open. You can come back stronger. You can also see it with Alex Morgan, who is once again one of the best players in the world after giving birth. In order to help, you have to talk about it a lot and openly. When I was looking for information about my pregnancy, I hardly found anything because it is rare. I then exchanged ideas a lot with other mothers. Almuth Schult was the first, but I also went to Turin to see Sara Gunnarsdottir. She had big problems with Lyon because of the payment of her salary. She helped me a lot with whatever help is needed.