2023-12-21 04:12:57
Barbara Dunst is Austria’s Footballer of the Year 2023. The 26-year-old Styrian came away with the highest number of points ever (29) in the election, which was carried out for the sixth time by the APA – Austria Press Agency among the sports managers of the ten women’s Bundesliga clubs. through. Bayern Munich’s Sarah Zadrazil (24) and Liverpool’s Marie-Therese Höbinger (15) landed behind the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder.
For the fifth time, the title went to a player in the German Bundesliga; in 2022, this was also the case with Hoffenheim’s Julia Hickelsberger-Füller. While she had an injury-plagued year, Dunst really blossomed in 2023. Enormous ball security, incredible running work and, more recently, a very pronounced goal threat characterize their game and make for a great overall package. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the league coaches either.
“She was very consistent in the club and also performed very, very well in the national team,” said St. Pölten’s Liese Brancao. Altach/Vorderland’s Bernhard Summer described Dunst as a “very smart player with a lot of mentality and will to win”. Austria Vienna’s Stefan Kenesei also had the Frankfurt legionnaire at the top of his list. “She is a leader, leads the way and shines both as a preparer and as a goalscorer,” said the 38-year-old. And BW-Linz/Kleinmünchen’s Adis Besic added: “She also goes into duels, works on the pitch and helps the team.”
Wacker Innsbruck’s Manfred Prebio was the fifth coach to have Dunst in first position. He introduced another component into the meeting by saying: “With her flawless demeanor, she is a perfect representative of Austrian women’s football.” She has also become a figurehead for Frankfurt. “Through her development over the past four years, she also represents and postulates the development of the entire club,” said Frankfurt’s technical director Katharina Kiel.
For coach Niko Arnautis, Dunst is a “very important key player” who has developed “outstandingly” in recent years. The “power pack” has a lot of freedom in the center of midfield. “She has become even more dangerous to score in 2023 and has also developed outstandingly in terms of tactical defensive behavior,” said Arnautis, who had further words of praise ready: “Barbara is a street soccer player who is not that good at this level, especially in one-on-one situations “Very strong and creative offensively, a player who can make the difference.”
8 goals in 18 competitive games for Frankfurt in the fall, including her first career hat trick, underline this. The hard work in summer preparation, especially on her fitness, finishing and mental aspects, has paid off. She also scored in the ÖFB uniform in the 2-1 win once morest Portugal in the Nations League. “Babsi has developed a lot as a footballer over the last year, but has also matured as a person,” said ÖFB team boss Irene Fuhrmann. Dunst has been in the starting line-up in all 25 games since mid-July. However, there is no sign of any signs of wear and tear on match days for the player, who is known as a “never-tired”.
After initial attempts in the yard with grandma, Dunst chased following the big ball from the U7 onwards at SV Anger, where Hartberg’s Jürgen Heil also worked. Via LUV Graz she went to St. Pölten, where she also completed business school at the ÖFB Women’s Academy. She landed in Frankfurt via Leverkusen and Duisburg in the summer of 2019. There, the sports management student got to grips with the “really blatant” multiple loads in the fall.
TV broadcasts regularly rave regarding the performance of the always authentic Styrian. “It’s a big high at the moment, but it’s especially important that I stick to myself. I know how fast-moving football is. Now there are hymns of praise, then there are other phases,” said Dunst. She experienced this last year by missing the Champions League and being out of the World Cup play-offs. She also had a difficult phase this summer. Your anchor is family and friends. “They are incredibly important for success. I drew the greatest strength from that.”
That’s why following the CL duel with Benfica on Thursday and the club Christmas party we’re going to Styria. Dunst is looking forward to “bacon with horseradish,” which her father brought her back in the summer. “I appreciate what my family has done for me, without that it wouldn’t have been possible. That’s why I want to try to give something back to them by spending time together.” And there will also be a material gift. Dunst announced that he would place the trophy for the footballers’ election in his parents’ living room.
Cross-country skiing, skiing or visiting the thermal baths are activities that she is considering in the time without football. However, a home program must be completed at the end of the year, as performance tests continue on January 5th, followed by a training camp. The goal is to work towards the top three in the league, the CL quarter-finals and the European Championship ticket. “Standing still is really bad for me, I’m hungry for more,” emphasized Dunst. Fun, relaxation and health – she never had a serious injury – are important factors on the way.
sport/mixed/76967826.xml"/> 1703134738
#Dunst #record #number #points #Footballer #Year
