There is a young German forward, playing in the Bundesliga, who scores hundreds of goals every week.
Before Bayern Munich begins preparing the paperwork for a bid, there is a small disclaimer – many of these goals are scored in the virtual arena of EA Sports’ FIFA video game series.
But such a caveat doesn’t make the daily balancing act of 20-year-old Lena Güldenpfennig, a striker for RB Leipzig by day and professional player for the club’s esports team RBLZ Gaming by night, any less impressive.
It’s a multitasking marvel made all the more remarkable by the fact that Güldenpfennig spends the first six hours of the day in school as part of her training to become a kindergarten teacher.
“This is just my daily routine,” Güldenpfennig explains.
“I have it every day and I enjoy it very much. I like doing all of this, which is why it works. If it’s fun, then you enjoy doing it, without stress.”
Having joined RB Leipzig’s footballing academy as a youngster, Güldenpfennig’s excellence on the virtual pitch was cultivated during her years at boarding school.
As is the case for many, her passion for gaming was forged by the desire to beat her friends – perhaps it was inevitable that, given her other life as a pro footballer, she was destined to take her competitiveness to the highest level.
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When European football came to a standstill early last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, many footballers put up their feet and picked up their controllers to scratch their competitive itch, but Güldenpfennig had loftier aims.
Having had “a little” more time to spend with the game – last year’s edition of FIFA 21 – she entered a German Football Association (DFB) online tournament.
She ended up winning and her performance did not go unnoticed. The following day, she was contacted by RBLZ Gaming, who offered her a chance to join their team.
Pioneer
One year on and she is already a history maker. In March, she became the first ever woman to play in the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) – a league contested by esports sides representing 26 real life clubs across Germany’s top two divisions.
Playing two doubles matches in the South-East division of the club championship against TSG Hoffenheim and FC Nürnberg, Güldenpfenning fired home the first two goals of her VBL career, including a sweetly struck volley.
The goal itself was as impressive as it was poignant – a goal scored by a woman in professional FIFA esports remains a collectors item in a male-dominated landscape.
A look at the VBL’s current squad rosters paints a pretty bleak picture as regards gender diversity. Of the 107 listed players across all 26 squads, just two women feature – Lena and Anna Klink of Bayer Leverkusen.
At the last FIFA eWorld Cup in 2019 – held at the O2 Arena in London with a $500,000 prize pot – all 32 finalists were male. Not that Güldenpfennig is deterred.
“I want to encourage women that more women have the courage to simply show, ‘Here, I can do this too,’” Güldenpfennig said.
“I would just advise them they shouldn’t hide and definitely don’t be afraid of the boys and men.
“I want to continue to show here, I have been the first woman – you can do this too.”
Alongside a lack of representation, sexist abuse, be it via game chat or social media, has often made online gaming a toxic environment for women.
“There is the occasional message, which appears in my Instagram inbox,” Güldenpfennig admitted.
“But I didn’t take these to heart and no woman in esports should take these to heart either”.