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She's just 20 years old, graduated from high school a few weeks ago and has now been given a remarkable accolade: FC Bayern player Franziska Kett has been named by UEFA as one of the team of the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland. In addition to Kett, who has already made 48 appearances for FCB Women, Germany striker Jule Brand also made it into the best XI of the tournament, which is chosen by UEFA's technical observers.
Germany debut in April, European Championship debut in July
After a lot of bad luck with injuries over the past two years, Kett got closer and closer to peak performance level during the second half of the 2024/25 season - just in time to attract the attention of the national coach. The Deggendorf-born player was already known for her leading role at the 2023 U19 European Championship, where Germany got all the way to the final before losing out to Spain on penalties. Accordingly, the ambitious and equally carefree Bayern player's senior international career has been meteoric. She only made her debut on 4 April this year - in the 4-0 win over Scotland. Two more international appearances and wins followed before she was called up for the European Championship.
In the quarter-final against France, Kett had the world-class strikers Kadidiatou Diani (pictured) and Delphine Cascarino in her pocket.
While all this was going on, she successfully passed her final exams at school and even joined up with the national team a day late so she could pick up her school report at the graduation ceremony.
In the starting XI in the quarter-finals and semi-finals
While Kett spent the group stage of the European Championship watching from the bench, she was surprisingly handed her first start in the quarter-final against France. She played a decisive role in ensuring that Germany - down to ten players early in the game - were able to keep the star-studded French attack in check. "It was incredible. We coped well with the setbacks and gave it our all. I think the French were annoyed with me," said Kett afterwards - smiling, rightly proud and visibly marked by battle scars on her body. Kett & Co. also took the reigning world champions from Spain to extra time in the semi-final, before Best FIFA Women's Player Aitana Bonmatí dashed the Germans' dreams of reaching the final with a stroke of genius.
Team of the Tournament
Goal: Hannah Hampton (England)
Defence: Lucy Bronze (England), Irene Paredes (Spain), Elena Linari (Italy), Franziska Kett (Germany
Midfield: Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas (all Spain)
Attack: Jule Brand (Germany), Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly (both England)
The European Championship may be over but we're already looking forward to the start of the Bundesliga campaign at the Allianz Arena:
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