Why did former German International Celia Sasic retire at 27 ?

Celia Sasic won the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup

On July 16th 2015, Germany International Celia Sasic shocked many with her decision to hang up her playing boots. Aged only 27, Sasic had been an integral part of the German national team with 63 goals from 111 appearances to her name.

Born Célia Okoyino da Mbabi in Bonn, Germany to a Cameroonian father and a French mother, Celia started out her youth career with TuS Germania Hersel where she plied her trade for seven years. She started her senior career with SC 07 Bad Neuenahr and registered 97 strikes to her name in just 136 appearances for the club.

In 2007, Sasic graduated with an Abitur diploma from the Friedrich-Ebert-Gymnasium in Bonn, majoring in Sports and French. Since October 2009, she has been pursuing Cultural studies at the University of Koblenz and Landau.

In August 2013, she married Croatian football player Marko Sasic, the son of Milan Sasic, and decided to adopt his surname.

The German Footballer of the Year in 2012 signed for FFC Frankfurt in 2013 and won the UEFA Women's Champions League in her last season at the club.

Retirement

Celia Sasic scored 14 goals in 8 games to help FFC Frankfurt win the 2015 UEFA Women’s Champions League

Speculations about a possible retirement surfaced in May after she ended her contract with FFC Frankfurt just before the Champions League final. Sasic scored 21 goals in the Frauen-Bundesliga league in 2014-15, and added another 14 goals in eight Champions League games, helping FFC Frankfurt win the title over French highfliers Paris Saint-Germain.

Sasic, who won the European championships twice with her nation in 2009 and 2013, was also the top scorer of the Frauen-Bundesliga for two consecutive seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

She won the Golden Boot in the 2015 Women's World Cup finding the back of the net six times, but missed a crucial penalty kick in the semi-finals against the United States. The USA won the match 2-0 to win their third Women’s World Cup title since the inception of the tournament in 1991.

Following the loss, the German international took to Facebook to announce her retirement from the game while citing her desire to pursue other interests in life.

“I was allowed to play in the Women’s Bundesliga for eleven years, experienced unforgettable moments with the Women’s national team for ten and a half years and was part of an unbelievable development and that makes me proud. Nevertheless, I’ve decided to begin a new chapter in my life and call time on my professional football career.”

“I’m now looking forward to a range of new things in my life. I want to finish my studies, sort out my career path, start a family and do a lot more.”

Just two weeks after her retirement, Celia Sasic won the coveted UEFA Best Women's Player in Europe award.

Celia Sasic won the 2015 UEFA Best Women's Player Award to end her career on a high

Tributes

Boasting a host of individual honours to her name and having won the EURO twice with Germany, numerous former coaches and other players came out in support of her decision and also paid their tribute to her.

“I regret Célia‘s decision, but I can understand it as well. Football is not everything in life and there comes a point when you have to set other priorities. For us, it's a huge loss because Celia is an outstanding personality leaving behind huge footprints. She was always a role model, on and off the pitch”, said Silvia Neid, who is the current German National team coach.

Neid could easily empathise with her player because she had herself hung up her boots at the modest age of 32 having represented Germany at the highest level as a player from 1982 to 1996.

“It's a real loss for us because Celia is major character who leaves big boots to fill,” Neid continued. “She was always a role model, on and off the pitch. We won important games because of her; she took on responsibility and completely fulfilled her role as a leading figure. From the bottom of my heart, I wish her all the best for the next step in her life.”

Celia’s father-in-law and experienced coach Milan Sasic added, “Célia is a wonderful woman with an unbelievable positive charisma. She has a social mindset, is always helpful and sympathetic. (She is) a real ray of sunshine!”

“Célia is a forward who likes to score goals but puts in a high work rate defensively as well. Her determination to always deliver 100% for the team is a superb quality.” said Colin Bell, Celia’s coach at Frankfurt.

Having won the respect and adoration of her coaches and players alike, Celia can look forward to her future life with the consolation that she ended her career on high, having won the UEFA Women’s Champions League in her last season as a pro footballer.