Zinsberger: I know I’m not number one | OneFootball

As Arsenal prepare for their biggest night in Europe, one senior figure reveals the truth about her role, her family, and what really drives her.

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Manuela Zinsberger is unlikely to be in the starting lineup when Arsenal walk out to face Barcelona in Lisbon for the Women’s Champions League final, but she knows exactly where she stands.

Not just in the pecking order, but in the team. “The roles are clearly defined, I am not the number one,” she said ahead of the biggest club game of her career. “But I will bust my arse in training and give everything. If I don’t play, I will still be on the sidelines, cheering with everything I’ve got. Team first, the team comes first. That’s not just an empty phrase to me.”

Now 29, Zinsberger joined Arsenal in 2019 and has grown into one of the squad’s most vocal and respected figures, even without a guaranteed starting place. The Austrian international has made only four appearances in the Champions League this season, and just seven in the Women’s Super League, with Daphne van Domselaar now established as Renee Slegers’ preferred choice in goal. But there is no resentment, no self-pity from the former number one.

“I’ve had so many experiences in England,” she said. “This is where I’ve grown up, in a way. Time flies. I came here young, and now I’m a mother.”

Zinsberger’s personal life has shifted as dramatically as her professional one. Her wife, Madeleine, and their son Marvis, born in summer 2024, live in Germany, while she remains based in London. “Right now, that’s what works best for us,” she explained. “Just because I’m a professional footballer doesn’t mean I expect my wife to give everything up. Her life is in Germany. Her family, her friends. I can’t be selfish.”

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The reality of that separation came into sharp focus on Mother’s Day. “I sat at home and thought, how crazy this all is. I’m a mum.” Though they speak by video call every day, the emotional weight of the long-distance family life is never far away. “There are days when I’m not as strong as I look. Days I just sit at home alone and cry.”

Still, Zinsberger finds ways to close the gap. The flight from London to Düsseldorf is short, and she rarely hesitates. “If I get two days off, I’m already on the plane.”

Marvis won’t be in the stands in Lisbon – Portuguese law bars children under three from attending matches in stadiums – but he and Madeleine will be waiting at the hotel. “They’ll hold me in their arms after the game. That’s what matters.”

Professionally, Sunday represents a pinnacle. “At club level, it’s the biggest thing you can achieve,” she said. “That shows how special this is. I feel pure excitement and hope it will be even greater joy after the match, if we lift the trophy.”

Arsenal will need to be flawless to stop Barcelona completing a third consecutive Champions League title, but Zinsberger remains defiant. “We want to make the impossible possible, as many have called it,” she said.