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Chelsea and Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger says she refused to let the return of her thyroid cancer prevent her enjoying a “positive” year on the pitch for club and country.
The 32-year-old confirmed in August that, after four years of being cancer-free, her illness had returned and she would undergo treatment.
She received the news during Germany’s run to the Euro 2022 final.
“It was a tough year. But I have come out of it even stronger,” Berger said.
“To be at a Euros [when] nobody knew then, the emotion of the Euros took the negative part away from my brain,” she told BBC World Service’s Sportsworld.
“It was a good year. I didn’t let my illness come across and say ‘hey, you shouldn’t have a good year because I’m back again’.”
Berger, initially diagnosed with cancer in late 2017, helped Chelsea win a historic third successive Women’s Super League title in May – part of a domestic double alongside the club’s FA Cup triumph.
She was an unused substitute in Germany’s Euro 2022 final defeat by England at Wembley.
Of her cancer diagnosis and treatment, she added: “I actually quite like to talk about it. It’s a topic nobody likes to talk about but in my position I think I can help people. I’m not sitting here saying everything was easy, because it’s not, but whatever your main focus is – and mine was football – you can achieve everything you want to.
“That’s why I think it’s really important for me to be open. I did it, so why can’t everyone else?”
Berger is one of three finalists for the Best Women’s Goalkeeper award in the Fifa Best Awards, alongside England and Manchester United’s Mary Earps and Christiane Endler of Chile and Lyon.
“If I’m honest I never thought I would be on the best three again after the illness I had,” said Berger, who only missed her side’s opening WSL loss to Liverpool following her treatment.
“I had to come back again and prove myself, so I was really surprised. It’s a nice feeling and I can’t deny it, but I’m already a winner in my head because I maybe don’t have the platforms of the others in national teams because the competition [in Germany] is quite high.
“To be on the best three is phenomenal. I’m a little bit proud of myself as well.”
Despite Germany’s extra-time loss in the Euro 2022 final, Berger feels like she has benefitted from England’s success because of its subsequent impact on the women’s game in the country.
“I’d say England winning the Euros was the best thing that could happen for the country. For me, even though I lost the final, I also won at the same time,” Berger said.
“Now we play multiple times in big stadiums, we’re getting more fans every Sunday – not just against the top teams. For me it’s a win-win situation. That’s what we train for, so we can get the recognition we deserve.”
Chelsea continue to fight on four fronts this season, while the Women’s World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand from July.
Berger has been restricted to four international caps to date, with Wolfsburg’s Merle Frohms preferred by Germany boss Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, but the former Birmingham City and Paris St-Germain player is optimistic as she aims to be part of her first World Cup squad.
“It would be amazing to go to a World Cup, especially because I came late to the national team, so that was always my target. I hope it looks pretty good that I will be there,” Berger said.
“We have a lot of energy from the Euros, we have set our standards and we can only go higher now. If everyone is pushing as hard as they are now I don’t think there are big problems that we can reach the final again.”
