Was there a moment during the season when you realized that you could actually make it to the cup final this year?

Before each cup round, we knew that we had to give 100% to progress. But we also knew that we could win every single game. Then we had this revenge situation with Stern in the quarter-finals and when we won the clash, we knew that we had a great chance of reaching the final.

FC Viktoria Berlin, the regional league champions, now await us in the final. A club with completely different conditions than you have in Pankow. As a goalkeeper, do you enjoy playing against strong teams that potentially create a lot of scoring chances?

Any goalkeeper who says otherwise isn't a real goalkeeper (laughs). No, that's really cool. I like these games where you can showcase yourself. The pressure is there, of course, because you're seen a lot more than in a game where you only have three touches of the ball - but that's positive pressure, it's really cool.

Have you always been a goalkeeper or did you start out in a different position?

I started out as an outfield player. You don't go to soccer and say 'I want to be a goalkeeper' (laughs). And then it was the classic: at some point, someone was looked for and the person who was least afraid of the ball went into goal. Then it turned out that I wasn't that bad at it and at twelve or 13 I stuck with the position. But I still really enjoy playing on the pitch. When I play outside in training, I prefer to play on the line as a full-back.

You've known Borussia Pankow since 2015 and you've been competing for the top spots in the Berlin League for years. How have the club and the team developed from your perspective?

We've improved in terms of play year after year. We also attract new players every year, who not only strengthen us across the board, but also at the top. In terms of performance, the team can no longer be compared to the one that won promotion from the national league in 2015. At the same time, we've also rejuvenated ourselves; we used to be a rather old team. Otherwise, the conditions here are very good for a club in grassroots sport. We have fixed training times that we don't have to worry about. The club is completely behind us and makes whatever is possible possible. We've also had a constant in the coaching position for years with Josi (Josefine Ruß, editor's note) . In general, there are a lot of constants and the club works really well.

Do you think that this development will eventually lead to promotion to the regional league?

From the club's perspective, I would never say 'never'. When you've been playing successfully in the Berlin League for so long, that's a step you shouldn't lose sight of. Two years ago, we had the opportunity to move up but decided against it for structural reasons. For me personally, I think that ship has sailed in the meantime. I've been in professional life for two years now and I wouldn't be able to train three or four times a week on a regular basis. In the Regionalliga, you also come up against clubs like Hertha BSC or Union II, which are much stronger structurally. For small clubs, such a promotion is a challenge that I personally won't brave any more, but I wouldn't rule it out per se for Borussia Pankow in the future.

With a view to the upcoming cup final, one final question: what is your prediction?

We'll go into the penalty shoot-out and win the cup (laughs). That would be the dream scenario for me as a goalkeeper. As a smaller club, we have nothing to lose and, as we all know, the cup has its own rules. Never say never...

Thank you for talking to us, Sophia.