"But 11-year-old Ena didn't want to listen. When the goalkeeper at her youth club Duisburg couldn't play, she made the surprising announcement that she wanted to step in as cover. "I think I saved almost everything, including the decisive penalty," she recalls. Her coach then knew she had a new goalkeeper, and her dad probably groaned, but his objections had to take a back seat."
"It was during the era of Covid-19 and quarantine. Duisburg only had 14 players available. Mahmutovic was the 16-year-old third-choice goalkeeper, so was also given an outfield shirt so that the team could even play the match. "We had two goalkeepers on the bench, so we were both given outfield kits. The coach then brought me on in added time. I managed two sprints. That was my debut," she laughingly recalls."
"Lukas Podolski was the name on the back of her first kit, gifted to her by her father. Later on it was Manuel Neuer. "His move to Bayern and his performances at the 2014 World Cup saw him redefine what it is to be a goalkeeper. Getting to take a photo with him on the balcony at Marienplatz was an incredible feeling," the goalkeeper revealed."
Ena Mahmutovic volunteered to play goalkeeper at age 11 and saved nearly every shot, including the decisive penalty, earning the coach's trust despite her father's preference for her as an outfield player. She made a Bundesliga debut at 16 during the Covid-19 quarantine when Duisburg had just 14 players, appearing briefly in added time while wearing an outfield shirt. Early irregular experiences taught her adaptability and calm under pressure. She grew up wearing a Lukas Podolski shirt and later admired Manuel Neuer, whose style influenced her goalkeeping. Photographing with Neuer at Marienplatz symbolized a personal full-circle moment.
Read at FC Bayern Women
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