They are one of the few openly assumed homosexual couples in women’s football in France. Between these two, everything started in 2018, in Montpellier. While Genessee Daughetee had left the club a year earlier, Sarah had just settled in Hérault after experiences at Bayern Munich (2009-2013) and SC Friborg (2014-2018). It was during a weekend, during which the American was visiting former teammates, that they met. Their story has been going on for nearly four years.
The two footballers share a job and a rhythm of life. “The most important thing is to be with someone who really understands what it’s like to have so much passion for a sport. It’s not just football, it’s our life, and sometimes non-sporty people can’t fully understand it“, notes Sarah.
Nearly 500 kilometers apart, however, the two players only have a few moments to share together during the season. “Our calendars are not always completely aligned. We sometimes play away, away, so we can’t see each other as much as we would like.”, explains the Dijonnaise. Both partners must agree”the many sacrifices in terms of free time, family time“.
They nevertheless endorse the costume of rivals in D1 Arkema. An unusual situation, as the Austrian international tells us, which they however approach with professionalism. “It can be difficult when there is a winner and a loser”, she explains. “We are both very competitive and we want to win every game. But at the same time, we love each other and we want the best for each other!“, adds Genessee Daughetee.
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Despite this rivalry, the two players are “a constant source of motivation for each other“, assures Genessee, formerly passed by the American university championship. “We are always accompanied by a person who works to achieve the same objectives. If one day we have a drop in motivation or if we are tired, we are always there to motivate each other.“.
This contribution is essential during periods of preparation. “We always train together during pre-season. It’s so demanding physically but also morally. All our friends are on vacation while we always have a sports program to follow. So in those moments when we just want to take a day off, we are there to push ourselves to do our cardio or weight training session, for example. When you do this with your partner, it’s immediately better“, confirms Sarah.
Both athletes strive to objectively advise each other on their game.”We push each other to become better athletes, we train on our weaknesses together“, reports the most capped player in the history of the Austrian selection. Her companion abounds: “If I ask Sarah: ‘what did you see that I could improve?’ or ‘can you watch and tell me how many times I passed the ball to the opponent?’, I know she will always be honest and kind in the way she tells me things. I trust his opinion even if sometimes it’s hard to hear that I made mistakes. But I know she’s telling me that to help me get better.”
Beyond the pitches, the two players were also able to count on each other to assert themselves. Even in the world of women’s football, where homosexuality is more accepted than among men, coming out is sometimes a difficult decision to make as an athlete. “It’s not easy to post something online knowing that it could potentially lead you to receive hateful comments or be judged by people you don’t know and who are based on it alone.“, book Genessee Daughetee.
They deplore a specifically French reluctance on this subject. “I was surprised by this lack of representation, I was used to a more open environment. In Germany, I saw clubs celebrating LGBT players but in France, we never talk about it, as if it didn’t exist“, notes Sarah Puntigam.
From now on, they appear without hiding on their social networks and affirm with the same voice that “it’s not even a question anymore“.”We didn’t think about what others might say in the league at all. Since we did it together, it wasn’t scary and we just felt it was the right thing to do.“, confides Sarah Puntigam.
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After a wedding celebrated last weekend and the Euro in which the Austrian will take part, the two young women of almost thirty years will play for the first time in the same club, FC Cologne (Germany). The idea of starting a family is also gaining ground. “With our careers and moves, we haven’t set a timeline yet but this is a chapter we can’t wait to open“, concludes Genessee Daughetee.
By Marie Darondovas, by L’Equipière