Prinz injury hits Frankfurt hopes
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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Three-time UEFA Women's Cup winners 1. FFC Frankfurt's bid to be part of the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League next term has been hit by the news that Birgit Prinz has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
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Sole three-time UEFA Women's Cup winners 1. FFC Frankfurt's bid to be part of the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League next term has been hit by the news that striker Birgit Prinz has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Four games left
Prinz, part of all three of 1. FFC's European victories in 2002, 2006 and 2008, fractured a rib during Germany's 1-1 draw with Brazil in Frankfurt on Wednesday, sidelining the 31-year-old for six to eight weeks. That is bad news for German titleholders Frankfurt, who lie fourth in the Frauen-Bundesliga with four games remaining, albeit within three points of the lead, and must finish in the top two to go into the new UEFA Women's Champions League next season.
EURO aim
"The season is of course over for me," said Prinz, who had only just recovered from a different problem which had ruled her out of Germany's Algarve Cup campaign in March. She aims to return for UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ with Germany's campaign beginning against Norway on 24 August in Tampere. Frankfurt exited the final season of the current UEFA Women's Cup in the quarter-finals to domestic rivals FCR 2001 Duisburg, who play Zvezda-2005 for the trophy on 16 and 22 May.
