Georgia Stanway an interview: “The best three years of my career” | OneFootball

Georgia Stanway is an undisputed starter for FC Bayern Women – and despite injury, she’s capable of achieving historic feats. In this exclusive interview, she reveals why FC Bayern is so special to her.

The news was a huge shock for the FC Bayern Women: Regular player Georgia Stanway suffered a serious knee injury at the end of January. It is the first serious injury for the Englishwoman, who has been playing for the Munich team since summer 2022.

This article written by Florian

An injury at an untimely time. For FC Bayern, for Stanway herself, and for the England national team. After all, the European Championship is coming up in Switzerland this summer, and England, the reigning European champions and World Cup runners-up, have big goals.

We caught up with Georgia Stanway for a big exclusive interview before the DFB Cup final against Werder Bremen. A conversation about the current season, the departure of coach Straus, tattoos, and singing performances at Marienplatz.

Despite injury: Stanway dreams of participating in the European Championship

Miasanrot: Ms. Stanway, the most important question first: How are you?

Georgia Stanway: I’m fine. I’m making progress, even though rehab is much more strenuous than normal training. I feel good and have a lot of support, which makes things a lot easier. My dream would still be to participate in the European Championship this summer.

How confident are you that you’ll be able to play in the Bundesliga season?

I think it’s too soon for me to play in the Bundesliga. Since we’re already champions, I don’t have to rush into anything. This gives me the opportunity to progress with my rehab in peace.

You won your third consecutive league title this weekend. How do you rate the season?

If we win the double, it would be the best season in the club’s history for women’s football, as we already won the Supercup at the beginning of the season. And personally, I’ve also learned a lot this season: I sometimes have to remind myself that, despite my injury, I played 50 percent of the season and over 1,000 minutes. Of course, it’s disappointing that I couldn’t play in the games against Lyon or the DFB Cup semifinal against Hoffenheim. Nevertheless, I played a part in where the team is today.

Smile please! The FC Bayern women celebrate their third consecutive championshipImage: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for DFB

And during rehab, I also learned a lot about my body and how it works. I’ve learned to appreciate the small victories you celebrate during the rehab phase. Outsiders may not realize how important these moments are. I had my first surgery this season. It was even my first injury; I’ve never been unavailable to my team for such a long time. So it was a very difficult season, but I’m proud of how I played in the first half of the season and how I handled the situation surrounding my injury.

Who has supported you over the past few months?

I have a large network of supporters: my family, my agency, a mentor, and one of the most important people during this time is my rehabilitation coach at the club, Moritz Lemmle. He’s someone who is very empathetic. He understands exactly what my situation is like; he knows the good and the bad sides. If I’m having a bad day, he’s having a bad day too, because he’s very compassionate. If I even make it to the European Championship, then I owe him a lot!

Stanway on Champions League exit: “It’s all about the details”

To return to the sporting situation. What does the team still need to win close games like the Champions League loss against Lyon? Was it just due to the numerous injuries the team suffered before the game?

Injuries happen in every team. I don’t think that’s the sole reason. Of course, Glódís, a few other players, and I were missing from this game, but we have enough quality players in the squad. It’s more a matter of small details. Especially in the first game against Lyon, we had chances, but we weren’t able to capitalize on them. On the other hand, Lyon scored a goal straight from an attack and built momentum from that.

It’s all about the details. Lyon were able to take us out of the game. We were far better in the first half of the away game; we dominated, we pushed them back, and we pressed high. I’m convinced that if we had been able to hold them at bay for 20 more minutes in the second half, it would have been close. But in games like these, it’s about the finer details; it’s about being clever in the decisive moments.

The enthusiasm for women’s football is growing ever greater. The FC Bayern Campus is always sold out, and fans’ requests for selfies and autographs are also increasing. As the team’s popularity grows, so do their expectations of the team. How do you personally deal with this?

It’s all part of the process. If we’re constantly developing women’s football, these things are completely logical – and indeed, a testament to the great progress that we’ve made.

We’ll now play the first game of the new season at the Allianz Arena, which I believe is another big step for us and our fans. We naturally want as many people as possible to come to our games. The FC Bayern Campus has somewhat limited capacity, so it’s great to be playing at the Allianz Arena again. This stage is also the result of our achievements. We want to inspire people, and the better we do that, the more people will want to come to our stadium.

When you celebrated the championship for the first time at Marienplatz, you sang “Sweet Caroline” together with Lina Magull. What song will you perform at this year’s championship celebration?

I don’t know yet whether I’ll sing the same song again. Maybe. Or “Tage voller Sonne” We always sing that before warming up; it means a lot to us.

The FC Bayern women are already champions. The men could still follow suit, as they did in 2023.Image: Nathan Zentveld/Getty Images

Let’s talk a little about your move to Munich. What was your first thought when you heard about FC Bayern’s interest?

I was pleasantly surprised because I’ve always been interested in German football. Players I looked up to were Anja Mittag and Dzsenifer Marozsán – I thought both of them were world-class! We played against Germany a few times with the national youth team, and they were always a very difficult team to beat.

But I wasn’t really thinking about playing in the Bundesliga. I was happy at Manchester City, where I was for a very, very long time. But at some point, I reached a point where I was ready for something new, for a new culture. And then Bayern showed interest in me. The decision to move was actually a no-brainer. The people in charge at FC Bayern showed very genuine interest and quickly convinced me.

The move to Munich was an opportunity for me to start anew. In Manchester, I felt like I’d reached a point where I wouldn’t improve or develop any further. The move to FC Bayern was refreshing; I didn’t know anyone there. It was a good opportunity to jump right in at the deep end.

When you negotiated the transfer to Munich, Jens Scheuer was still the coach. However, upon your arrival in Munich, you met Alexander Straus. Who led the contract negotiations with you?

I spoke mostly with Bianca Rech. I met Jens Scheuer via a video call.

Were you surprised by the coaching change?

That didn’t play a major role at the time; I didn’t really know Jens Scheuer, and I didn’t really know Alexander Straus. But when I came to Munich, it was perhaps even an advantage that the coach was also new to the club. I’m very happy with the role and responsibility Alex gave me, and I don’t think I would have had that under many head coaches.

What was the biggest challenge for you when you moved to Munich – both on and off the pitch?

For me, football was actually one of the easiest things to do, as I arrived and was able to play my game. I think it only took me two or three games to feel comfortable in that environment, understand my role, and know what was expected of me. Off the pitch, it was more challenging: the foreign language, finding a comfortable apartment, and things like that. And of course, I miss my friends and family.

How are your German skills now, after three years?

My expectations of quickly grasping the language were a bit too optimistic. Learning German is incredibly difficult. For me, it’s obviously perfect that we mostly speak English on the team, but that doesn’t make things any easier in everyday life (laughs).

Stanway and Zadrazil – the perfect midfield duo?

Alexander Straus repeatedly emphasizes that new signings need some time to understand the playing style and get used to the team’s rhythm. You, on the other hand, were immediately part of the starting eleven. Why is that, and how does the style of football played in Munich differ from other teams?

I think I was fortunate that Alex trusted me immediately. Alex believed in my abilities, especially when it came to playing with the ball. In my first two and a half seasons, I played with Sarah Zadrazil at my side, and we quickly complemented each other well.

We have different skills and quickly understood how to play together. Sarah and I just clicked, and I think we both played a lot of minutes because we built a connection.

Can you explain that in more detail?

I like passing, moving the ball forward, and dribbling. Sarah, on the other hand, is more active when working off the ball, covering me and the other attacking players. In my opinion, Sarah is underestimated by many people; what she brings to the team and how she works on the pitch is tremendous.

Personally, I consider myself lucky to have so much trust from the team and the coach. Alex demands a lot from me when it comes to breaking down the lines, finding open spaces, and setting the rhythm. There’s a lot of pressure on me, but I really enjoy this role.

Rare picture: Sarah Zadrazil (in black) and Georgia Stanway disagree.Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Alexander Straus attaches great importance to filling positions on the pitch; it’s not so important to him who occupies those positions. How do you feel about this freedom?

I think it’s very important. This freedom allows us to play the way we want to. It took us time to find the positional changes and transitions and to ensure that everything works as smoothly as possible. But if we succeed, it’s almost impossible to defend against us.

What is your favorite position on the pitch? You can play in the midfield, midfielder, and midfielder positions?

The position I’ve played at FC Bayern for the past three years: the midfielder, but with a slightly more attacking focus.

“The Women’s Super League is a pioneer, financially strong, and pushes boundaries.”

Can you give a little insight into the differences between German and English football? What are the biggest differences?

I think the WSL is currently setting the standard for how women’s football should develop. The league is a pioneer, has strong financial resources, and is pushing boundaries. Other countries should look at this and ask themselves: How do they operate, how do they manage to reach so many fans on a regular basis, what marketing strategies do they use?

I think this is something we need to look at. The WSL’s success is, of course, also a result of the successful 2022 European Championship. If we hadn’t hosted and won this tournament in England, I’m not sure the upswing would have been as big as it is now. But now the English league is setting the tone. Those in charge know what it takes to make a club sustainable. They know what it takes to get to the top and reach that level. It’s just a matter of how to maintain it.

And I think it’s not a bad thing to compare yourself. It’s not a bad thing to ask yourself: Okay, how do you do it? Because that allows us to be open, and it allows us to honestly assess our status quo.

Is Stanway extending his contract with FC Bayern?

You’re in your third season at Bayern Munich, and your contract expires in the summer of 2026. What are your plans with FC Bayern, and when can we expect your contract extension?

The last three years have been the best three years of my career. The relationship with the players, the coaching staff, and the management—I don’t know if I’ll find it anywhere else, because it’s something very special here. We’ll see what happens next year.

To many people’s surprise, Alexander Straus announced his departure this summer. How did you find out, and what was your initial reaction?

Alex and Jay (Bianca Rech, editor’s note) told us personally and explained it to us in the days following the Frankfurt game. It came as a surprise, but we had time to talk about it and reflect. The following week, the focus shifted back to the upcoming league game against Freiburg.

What impact will the departure have on your own future?

None. That’s part of football. There’s no question that Alex helped me in my personal development. The same goes for the entire team. We’ve achieved a lot together, and it’s nice that we can always remember it. And hopefully, a cup title will be added at the end. At the end, we can all celebrate on the town hall balcony.

On a different topic: You have an unusual hobby. You enjoy tattooing. How did that come about?

I think it’s important for me to have something outside of football to focus on, something to distract me from the game, something I can fully concentrate on. A completely different area where I don’t think about anything else. Tattooing gives me all of that.

It gives me peace of mind, but also a little adrenaline rush. The feeling of getting a tattoo that the client likes is one of the greatest feelings. Tattooing has always been cool to me. It’s always been part of the family. My brothers and my father have always been interested in it.

What’s worse? The pressure of scoring the winning penalty in a big game or the pressure of tattooing a perfect line, a perfect graphic?

That’s a good question, and of course, you can’t really compare them. Missing a penalty is one of the worst things, but I know there are ten other people on the field who can rectify the situation or help me with it. With tattooing, however, if I make a mistake, I’ve probably ruined something on someone’s body for a very long time.

You once said in an interview that you prefer not to do anything football-related in your free time. Is that also due to the enormous pressure female footballers are under these days?

I think it’s very important to find balance for yourself. When you come to work, you talk about football nonstop. You could talk about football for six or seven hours a day. For me, it’s important to come home and have other things in life.

Staying on the topic of free time: What’s the best thing about Munich that you’d like to transfer to Great Britain?

Good question. I think Germany and England aren’t that dissimilar. There’s a lot of nature here, a lot of mountains, a lot of water. So, it wasn’t such a big adjustment to move here. I come from the countryside, so I enjoy being in Munich and I enjoy the peace and quiet here. I live outside the city because I don’t like the hustle and bustle and loud noises so much. If I go to England, I’d probably take the city of Munich and the FC Bayern Munich club with me. Then I’d have my family nearby, and all these fantastic people from here too (laughs).

How have you changed personally and as an athlete since moving to Munich?

I think I’ve developed a lot in the last three years, not just as a footballer, but also as a person. As I said, you just have to jump in at the deep end, and that’s exactly what I’ve done here.

I was on my own and had to figure things out. You learn to be comfortable in your own space, you learn to be comfortable at home alone, and try to figure out what works for you. You have to make new friends and connect with people.

In England, I was perhaps more withdrawn. It wasn’t always in my nature to welcome a new player, whereas here I want to proactively welcome and integrate the new players, invite them to dinner, offer my services or help.

Georgia Stanway played for Manchester City for a total of seven yearsImage: Andrew Couldridge/Pool via Getty Images

I also feel like I’ve grown up a bit. I think my leadership role on the team has also taught me how to give both praise and constructive criticism. I feel like I’ve grown as a person and as a player.

Georgia Stanway: “On the pitch, I’m a perfectionist.”

On the pitch, as a midfielder, you have to find creative solutions. On the other hand, you have to be very precise in your passing and positioning. In my opinion, this conflict also exists with tattooing. How much individuality can a tattoo tolerate?

Of course, you want to make it as perfect as possible. I’m the same with football as I am with tattooing. It’s all about that last one percent, the little details. I’m generally very strict with myself in life, which I don’t think is a bad thing. On the pitch, I’m a perfectionist. I want every pass to be perfect. I want my passing accuracy to be as high as possible. And the same goes for tattooing. If there’s a line I’m a little unsure about, I want to fix it and make sure the precision is right.

Your coach, Alexander Straus, is a man who obviously really likes tattoos. Would you give him one too?

Yes, of course.

Have you talked about it yet?

Not yet, but he’d probably do it. More and more people from the club are confiding in me these days (laughs).

If FC Bayern were a tattoo, what would it look like?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but maybe a symbol of togetherness. A symbol of family. A symbol of working hard and getting exactly what you deserve.