Nilla Fischer, 38, was a professional soccer player who played for Sweden in four Women’s World Cup’s as well as playing professionally for clubs such as VfL Wolfsburg and LdB FC Malmö among others.
In Fisher’s great career she played 194 times for her nation and scored 23 goals, at the club level she won 13 championships. She also penned her autobiography I Didn’t Even Say Half Of It, where she revealed the gender verification exams women’s soccer players go through.
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Now in an interview with Aftonbladet she dug further into these exams and how her teammates and herself felt after being “humiliated” by the federation and FIFA.
Nilla Fischer on gender verification
The exams took place as Sweden prepared for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany and Fischer stated, “We had a very safe environment in the team, so it was probably the best environment to do it in. But it’s an extremely strange situation and overall, not a comfortable way to do it.”
According to Mats Börjesson, Sweden’s team doctor in 2011, the examinations were a result of the rumors that Equatorial Guinea’s team were fielding men.
Nilla Fischer of Sweden shoots during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Semi Final match between Netherlands and Sweden at Stade de Lyon on July 03, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
In her autobiography Fisher expanded, “We were told that we should not shave ‘down there’ in the coming days and that we will show our genitalia for the doctor.
“No one understands the thing about shaving but we do as we are told and think: ‘How did it get to this?’ Why are we forced to do this now? There has to be other ways to do this. Should we refuse?’
“At the same time, no one wants to jeopardize the opportunity to play at a World Cup. We just have to get the s*** done no matter how sick and humiliating it feels.”
