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Sun 03 October 2021 | 5:30

Top facts about Nilla Fischer, the Swedish player

Nilla Fischer is known for being outspoken in defense of women playing football but also, as a gay woman, in being an advocate of LGBT rights. Read on to find out more facts about Nilla Fischer.

Anna Nilla Maria Fischer (born 2 August 1984) is a Swedish soccer player who plays for

Linköpings FC

and the national team of Sweden. Formerly, she was the leader of FC Rosengrd.

Nilla Fischer’s age

is 37. Here you can find out the most important facts about Nilla Fischer, the great soccer player.

In 2013, Nilla Fischer gave an interview to QX magazine in which she announced her intention to marry her partner Mariah-Michaela.

They married in December 2013. She is a gay woman and is married to her partner of 5 years. She exchanged the wedding vows with her girlfriend in 2013 December in front of family and friends in a lavish ceremony. She believes that being a gay woman playing soccer provokes a lot of hate.

Her 35th minute goal against the USA on the final day of group play in the 2011 World Cup would prove to be the match winner. That result put Sweden atop their group, and is the only time the Americans have suffered defeat in the group stage of a World Cup.

Nilla Fischer has represented

Sweden

in four World Cups (China 2007, Germany 2011, Canada 2015, France 2019) and three Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016.) Her squad finished in third place in two of those World Cups (2011 and 2019), and won a Silver Medal in Rio.

Fischer won most of her caps for Sweden as a defensive midfielder after her debut versus

Norway

in January 2001. Approaching a century of appearances, she was converted to a center back by coach Pia Sundhage in 2013.

Top facts about Nilla Fischer:

The first

fact about Nilla Fischer

is that she is well-known for speaking out in support of female football players, as well as being an advocate for LGBT rights as a lesbian woman.

Nilla Fischer early life

It all began almost 30 years ago in a tiny Swedish hamlet just outside of Kristianstad. Regarding Nilla Fischer’s childhood, she remembers, "I grew up in a little hamlet with my family.

I'd go outdoors and play football or anything like table tennis. Speaking about my parents, my mother used to take my twin brother and me to the field, and I've been playing football since then.”

“It was just about having fun at first, but I soon realized I was pretty excellent, and now I'm fortunate enough to be able to do it full-time. I used to play because it was enjoyable, not because I wanted to be a professional player.”

While playing a ball around with her twin brother as a kid was enjoyable, Fischer dreamed of representing Sweden when she was a teenager. It's no surprise, given that Sweden had one of the greatest national teams in the world at the time, having won the first ever European Championships only months before Fischer was born.

When Fischer was ten years old, Sweden hosted the Women's World Cup, and by the age of fourteen, the aspiring player had joined Vittsjö GIK, making his dream a reality.

“I began thinking about the national team while I was playing with the adults. It wasn't feasible back then to simply play football, so I'm glad I'm in a position to do it now.”

Nilla Fischer personal life

Nilla Fischer is a lesbian who has been married to her long-term partner for five years. In December of 2013, she married her fiancée Mariah-Michaela in a spectacular ceremony in front of family and friends.

An important fact about Nilla Fischer is that she and her partner had been dating for a long time before they announced their engagement in an interview with QX Magazine in early 2013.

The pair seems to be content in their marriage and hasn't reported any marital strife. She has posted a lot of pictures of a beautiful baby, and according to reports, the newborn is their son, but the name has yet to be revealed.

Nilla, who is also a lesbian and encourages others not to conceal their sexuality, seems to be very forthright when addressing same-sex marriages and gender equality.

Fischer wants to serve as an example to those who are scared to come out. “It seemed natural for me,” she adds. My wife is my first lady; we had just been dating for a year when a magazine inquired about it, and I simply gave them the truth.

I didn't want it to be that I'd been keeping a secret; instead, I wanted it to be that it wasn't a tale; I wanted it to be ordinary. One of the reasons I'm so open about it in interviews and on social media is because I didn't want it to be a huge story screaming, "Oh, she's homosexual." It's not a huge deal that I'm dating someone else.”

Fischer acknowledges, though, that social media can be a gloomy place. She, like many others, has gotten her fair share of snide remarks throughout the years.

“The not-so-friendly individuals may write anything they want on social media,” she added. “I want individuals who are scared of coming out to know that it is okay to do so. You may get ten good remarks, but just one negative one will stick with you.”

Nilla Fischer professional career

Most football players would sacrifice everything to have a resume that like that of Nilla Fischer, the 37-year-old defender. Fischer has two Swedish league championships, two German league titles, three German Cups, and a Champions League win with

Wolfsburg

in 2014.

Nilla Fischer club career

Nilla Fischer signed a contract with the Linkopings FC and was a member of the world cup squad of Swedish national team representing in 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

LdB FC Malmö

A notable fact about Nilla Fischer is that she joined the club LdB Malmö in 2003. Fischer had joined a club that had placed second in the Damallsvenskan for an unprecedented seven years in a row, due in large part to Ume IK, a squad that had won the Champions League in both 2003 and 2004, having Sweden's Hanna Ljungberg and Brazil's Marta in its assault.

Despite making more than 100 matches for the team, Fischer had to wait until 2010 to win the championship after Umea had won the previous four seasons in a row.

Fischer went on to Linköping after winning a second championship in 2011. “It was a really difficult period,” the defender recalls. “At Malmö, we always had the aim of winning the title; we had the squad and the players to accomplish it, but Ume were just too excellent.

I'm not sure whether it was a mental issue, but they were just better than us. Winning those two championships was a fantastic sensation; Ume's momentum had finally come to a stop, but it was difficult to constantly play and always come in second.”

VfL Wolfsburg

Fischer went to national soccer after missing out on a bronze medal this time, and a month after the tournament ended, she joined German powerhouse Wolfsburg for an attack on the UEFA Champions League.

German clubs enjoyed regular dominance of Europe's main club tournament in the shape of Turbine Potsdam, FFC Frankfurt, and FCR Duisburg, but Lyon's ascent broke the grip.

An important

fact about Nilla Fischer

is that at Stamford Bridge, she joined the defending champions, Ralf Kellermann's side defeating a Lyon squad that included

Wendie Renard

,

Amandine Henry

,

Megan Rapinoe

, and Fischer's Sweden colleague Schelin.

Fischer was on the brink of winning the most important domestic trophy of her career when Wolfsburg defeated Fischer's previous club Malmö, as well as Barcelona and Turbine Potsdam, to reach the final, which took place in front of 11,000 spectators in Lisbon.

Tyresö FF lined up on the opposite side, a team that had a meteoric ascent in Swedish football, but one that ended in their early downfall from the top flight.

Even though it had been known months before the final that major players would be leaving due to financial problems, Fischer and her colleagues faced a tough opponent.

Tyresö featured a number of Swedish players, notably captain Caroline Seger, who was coached by Swede Tony Gustavsson. Meghan Klingenberg, Whitney Engen, and Christen Press from the United States, as well as Veronica Boquete and Marta from Mexico, all began.

With goals from Boquete and Marta handing the Swedes a solid 2-0 lead at halftime, Wolfsburg seemed to have taken on more than they could handle. Fischer remembers, "We went into the match thinking we had a strong opportunity to win."

“However, we didn't play well in the first half; they were threatening and took advantage of their opportunities. We pulled it all together at halftime and said we had 45 minutes to turn it around, and we could do it. Many of the players on that squad had previously won a league championship and had that victory experience.”

The comeback was amazing, with goals from forwards

Alexandra Popp

and Martina Müller bringing Wolfsburg level inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half, before Marta put Tyreso back in charge.

Wolfsburg, however, were not to be denied; replacement Verena Faisst equalized before Müller scored her second to cap off one of the most memorable Champions League finals in women's football history. “We went out and scored that early goal, which gave us some momentum. They still played well in the second half, but I believe we gave it our all and turned the game around.”

Linkopings FC

A notable fact about Nilla Fischer is that it has been almost two years since she has been playing for Linköping. She has said about continuing to play for the team, “I would like to continue, but it is the coaches who decide.”

An important fact about Nilla Fischer is that the monument of Sweden defender was vandalized in Linkoping, raising broader issues about gender equality in the nation.

According to Swedish media sources, a nearby neighbor discovered the main body of the monument had been toppled off its pedestal.

Nilla Fischer international career

Fischer, who is more of a bridesmaid than a bride for Sweden, can still brag about a World Cup bronze medal and an Olympic silver, but she's still searching for that elusive gold.

An important fact about Nilla Fischer is that she had only been playing in Sweden junior teams for a short time when she made her senior squad debut in 2001, after leaving Vittsjö in 2000 to play for local club Kristianstad.

Fischer made her debut against Norway in her original position as a holding midfielder, under the supervision of Coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors.

She adds, "I was very, extremely thrilled. I've always been anxious about playing the game, but my concerns have always been on whether we'd win or lose rather than my own performance. My parents never pushed me too hard; instead, they were always encouraging.

Their one rule was that once you began a season, you must finish it; you could never stop. It was a huge deal to play with the best players in the world, but they were all extremely kind and supportive, and that's what I strive to do today with the new guys who are coming up.”

A notable

fact about Nilla Fischer

is that her rise through the ranks of the national team was slow. Fischer did not compete in the European Championships later that year, or the following event in 2005, despite making her debut.

Fischer made her big event debut with the national team during her tenure in Malmö, participating in the 2007 World Cup in China, with Sweden being led by new coach Thomas Dennerby.

Sweden's 2-1 victory against North Korea in their last group game wasn't enough to turn around a goal differential disadvantage, and Fischer's first experience of tournament soccer was finished before the knockout stage.

Despite the shock, Fischer clearly remembers her early visits to Sweden fondly. “I always hope that the players who want to play for the national team are already familiar with the feeling,”

Fischer adds, “It's worth it all; I despise preseason and all the jogging, but football is worth every minute and hour you put into it. It's true that you don't realize what your objective means until you achieve it; it was the same for me. I wanted to play for Sweden, but when I did, it was an incredible experience, and I want to keep doing it as long as I can.”

An important fact about Nilla Fischer is that she returned to China for the Beijing Olympics a year later, marking the start of a competition with Germany that would dominate her and her teammates' international careers for the following several years.

Sweden's gold aspirations were dashed with a 2-0 quarter-final loss to Silvia Nied's team, who were perhaps the finest in the world at the time. Three years later, Sweden and the rest of the globe gathered in Germany for the 2011 World Cup, a competition that would provide Fischer with one of her career's most memorable moments.

Despite Germany's dominance, the hosts were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual surprise winners Japan. In the semi-finals, Japan proved to be Sweden's kryptonite, leaving Fischer with a bronze medal match versus France.

Marie Hammarstrom's 82nd-minute winner meant the Blgult went away with a bronze medal, a first for Fischer, in front of 25,000 fans in Sinsheim. Fischer remembers, "It was very amazing." “Everything about the event, from the organization to the fans, was incredible. We did very well in the group, defeating the United States.”

“We were given a red card during the game against France, but we turned it around. It was an emotional roller coaster throughout the game and, of course, afterwards, but it's something I'll be proud of for the rest of my life. Nobody can stop you when you get your team and employees to work 100 percent together and everything simply works.”

What about the team's new head coach? Many of the players, notably Fischer, grew up watching Sundhage play for Sweden as a great player. Their coach was now one of the most well-known personalities in global football.

“Pia was and continues to be a legend,” Fischer adds. “That sparked a lot of excitement and curiosity among the team members. We channeled the enthusiasm from everything into our game. It’s something I hope every player could take part in, to play in their home European Championships.

“Pia is all about football; she is enamored with the sport. Many people understand how huge she was before as a player, then you realize it gets to another level.

It was wonderful to witness the impact Pia had on people when fans came to see training and demanded Pia's signature before the players. The wonderful part was, she could join in sessions, she would place crosses into the box for you.

“I don't know how old she is today, but the talents she still has are incredible; I can only image what they were like when she was younger,” she chuckles.

In Gothenburg, where Fischer was now playing as a center-back under Sundhage's guidance, almost 16,000 spectators watched Sweden's first game against

Denmark

.

Fischer, despite playing farther down the field, seemed to have developed a keen eye for goal in front of her home fans. The defender scored in a 1-1 draw with Denmark before adding two more goals in a 5-0 thrashing of

Finland

.

Sweden advanced to the semi-finals with a 4-0 victory against Iceland in the quarter-finals, but a single Dzsenifer Marozsán goal denied them a fantasy final against neighboring Scandinavians Norway in Gothenburg. “We were really hoping to make it to the final, but Germany got in the way once again,” Fischer recalls.

Fischer's three goals, though, earned her the coveted silver boot, which she shared with colleague Lotta Schelin. She chuckles as she says, "I don't score very well." “If I'm fortunate, I may score one goal in a tournament, but that's typically it. But it was like, 'What is going on?' when I scored twice against Finland.'

Major trophies have yet to come for Sweden, but their rivalry with

Germany

has remained fierce. Sweden was beaten 4-1 in the second round of the 2015 World Cup in Canada, setting up an even more significant encounter a year later in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

After an hour, Sweden broke the tie, with rising sensation Stina Blackstenius blasting past Hope Solo.

Alex Morgan

's equalizer forced a penalty shootout, which was won by Lisa Dahlkvist when Christen Press missed the United States' fifth and final chance.

Sweden had achieved its goal, but the tale was far from finished. Soon after the match, Solo, one of the most well-known names and faces in the women's game, called the Sweden squad a "bunch of cowards," a remark that would earn her a six-month suspension from US Soccer two weeks later. Solo hasn't played for the USA since, despite having 202 caps.

“We mostly simply shrugged it off,” Fischer recalls, adding, “But if we play against them again, it will provide us with additional motivation.” When you've just lost a game, you're not your best self, and the wisest of things may not come out of your lips. I think it's a stretch to label our style of play cowardly. It's difficult to deal with your emotions after being eliminated from a competition, but we won, so we were simply happy.”

In the semi-finals, against Brazil, another penalty shootout was required. The teams were welcomed by a carnival atmosphere and an astounding 70,000 fans at the Maracan in Rio, but it was the Swedes who once again spoiled the party, with Fischer scoring one of Sweden's five penalties.

It meant a chance at Olympic gold, as well as a sure silver, with Sweden facing Germany for the 11th time in Silvia Neid's managerial career.

Despite Brazil's elimination in the previous round, 52,000 supporters gathered at the Maracan to see two of the game's most renowned female managers go head-to-head. After an hour, Sweden was down 2-0 to Marozsán's goal and Linda Sembrant's own goal, and even Blackstenius's score shortly after wasn't enough to turn the tables on the Germans.

It was yet another loss at the hands of a squad that had become their most formidable opponent, and Fischer admits the Germans have always had an advantage. “You simply try to approach every game as if it were the first, and don't dwell on the past; if you do, you'll lose the game before it ever starts. We weren't excellent from the start of the 2015 World Cup, and we couldn't match Germany's quality.

“However, against them in 2016, we played our greatest game of the tournament, and it might have gone any way. When you know you're playing against them, you constantly think to yourself, "Oh crap." That German mindset is something they have, and it's very difficult to break them.”

Sweden was almost certainly paired against Germany in the group round of this year's European Championships in the Netherlands, marking the third year in a row that the two countries will compete in a major event. “Having them in the group was almost better,” Fischer adds.

“They wouldn't be able to knock us out. It was nice to play against them in the first game because the stakes were lower and it wasn't a must-win situation; all we had to do was go in and run our tails off.”

Sweden drew 0-0, but a stunning loss to Italy in their last group game meant they only advanced as group runners-up, forcing them to play the hosts in the quarter-finals.

The eventual winners, the Netherlands, triumphed 2-0, guaranteeing Fischer and her colleagues an early exit from the tournament. Pia Sundhage resigned down to be replaced by Peter Gerhardsson, a 58-year-old who will lead Sweden to the 2019 World Cup.

“We have some work to do,” Fischer acknowledges. “It's great to have fresh guys in our squad every camp right now; we're striving to improve our game, our players, and our team as a whole.”

Nilla Fischer and equality in soccer

An important fact about Nilla Fischer is that aside from her personal life, she and many of her colleagues across the globe have found themselves involved in conflicts with their country's football organizations in the pursuit of better agreements as the women's game continues to develop.

Norway, the United States, Ireland,

Denmark

, and Sweden are just a few of the high-profile countries that have made a stance in order to obtain better agreements, with Sweden eventually securing one earlier this year.

“If I could want for anything, it would be equal pay,” she adds. “But, in comparison to men's football, women's football is still in its infancy; we must earn our rights and battle for them. Unfortunately, it is the fact. We're simply glad we were able to reach an arrangement with our association, which we're extremely pleased with.”

Norway's FA agreed to a 93 percent wage rise in October, while Sweden's secret agreement was only revealed last month. Despite reaching the Euro 2017 final in August, Sweden's 2019 World Cup qualifier against Denmark was postponed and given as a victory to the Swedes because Denmark's players refused to play since they were engaged in similar salary negotiations with their FA.

“It would be fantastic if many more nations followed our lead and set the standard. I understand the concerns about how the men's game receives more sponsorship money, but it would be incredible if just one nation stated the same thing for men and women.

It's a battle, and I'm happy that women across the globe are standing up and demanding more in terms of money, facilities, and pitches. We take a stance and declare that we are entitled to more.”

Nilla Fischer social media

Regarding

Nilla Fischer social media

, it should be mentioned that she has an Instagram (

@fischernilla

) page with 42k followers. On the page, we can see her in the action on the field and with her family.

She also has a Twitter page (

@fischer_nilla

) with more than 13k followers. She often posts new stuff on her page.

Nilla Fischer body measurements

Regarding

Nilla Fischer body measurements

, it should be mentioned that she is 176 cm tall and weighs 65 kg.

Nilla Fischer net worth and salary

A notable fact about Nilla Fischer is that she has been playing professional football for nearly two decades, thus she is expected to have amassed a sizable net worth. As of 2021,

Nilla Fisher’s net worth

is projected to be about $5 million, based on all of her career games.

In terms of her club career, she is one of the best paid female footballers in the world, with an annual salary of approximately $67,500 earned during her time with VfL Wolfsburg. Her monthly income was $5,625.00 at the time. Her yearly wage may now be about $50,000, since she signed with the Linkopings.

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source: SportMob



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