German midfielder Fatmire Bajramaj is out six months with the torn cruciate knee ligaments, UEFA.com reports. The news is a massive blow for 1. FFC Frankfurt and for Germany, which prepares for the 2013 Euro competition taking place in July in Sweden.
“Fatmire Bajramaj’s serious injury is a big shock for her and of course all of us,” Frankfurt general manager Siegfried Dietrich told UEFA.com. “We wish ‘Lira’ all the best, a quick recovery and hope that she will make her comeback in an FFC jersey in spring 2013 at the latest.”
Germany hopes to resurface on the world scene after missing out on the 2012 Olympics due to a shocking quarterfinals exit in the 2011 World Cup, played in Germany. The top two European teams from that World Cup — Sweden and France — qualified for the Olympics, along with host Great Britain.
Speaking of Euro, Sweden will host the tournament and be led by a face familiar to U.S. fans. Pia Sundhage, who was, according to reports, supposed to begin the Sweden job in December, will take charge of the team for the first time on Oct. 23 against Switzerland. That is the same day that the U.S. will play Germany in East Hartford, Conn., the second meeting in three days between the teams.
