Gwinn's reveals Popp's final words after passing on captaincy: "She said 'Have fun with the crew'." | OneFootball

Retired German women's national team captain Alexandra Popp salutes the fans at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg last night. The 33-year-old native of nearby Witten and former FCR 2001 Duisburg academy product officially passed on the DFB captaincy to 25-year-old Giulia Gwinn after coming off in the 15th minute.

For those watching the friendly between the German women's national team and Australia on Monday evening, it became readily apparent that German female footballing legend Alexandra Popp's hitherto suppressed emotions were coming to the forefront. Ahead of what was pre-confirmed as a short "symbolic" shift, the 33-year-old fought back tears as she lined up to sing the German national anthem for the final time.

As the quarter-of-an-hour mark approached, Popp's number flashed on the sideline. The crowd of nearly 27,000 rose to their feet. Popp removed her captain's band an exited the pitch in a formalized fashion. Before it was time to head post the row of players into the dugout, the veteran handed her band over to new DFB captain Giulia Gwinn and whispered something in her teammate's ear.

"Yeah, I'm still a little flustered," Popp said when asked about her current emotional state in the mixed zone last night, "There was a lot going on today. A lot to handle, but I'm grateful that I got a chance to experience one last short shift. I'm grateful for the send-off"

"I was just a little girl when I came to the national team," Popp also said, "I stood alongside players like Inka Grings, Birgit Prinz, Annike Krahn, and others. They taught me how to go with the flow and see what happens."

"Then one day you're a team leader," she continued, "and it's your responsibility to mentor the younger players. I'm very grateful that I got a chance to experience such very different career phases."

"To say that we're proud of her would be an understatement," Gwinn added in her own mixed-zone interview, "She influenced the national team over the course of many years and was essentially the face of the team."

"It's hard to believe that she's gone," Gwinn continued, "but we hope that we gave her a fitting send off today even if we couldn't necessarily do so with a successful result. Ideally, we hope to given her a nice evening at let her know she'll always be at home here."

"Have fun with the crew," Gwinn answered when asked what Popp had whispered in her ear just prior to departing the pitch, "That's honestly what she said."