Hendrich's fatal "surprise": This European Championship record is far-fetched

The move is as clear as it is fatal: Kathrin Hendrich grabs her opponent by the braid – and is sent off from the quarterfinals of the European Football Championship. Her expulsion sets two tournament records.

After the final whistle, she lay in Giulia Gwinn's arms and cried. Kathrin Hendrich's tears of joy and relief were certainly mixed with great frustration. The 33-year-old will definitely have to watch the semifinal against Spain of the European Football Championship. She made a fatal mistake against France.

National coach Christian Wück named the central defender, who will move from VfL Wolfsburg to Chicago Red Stars FC after the tournament, in the starting lineup for the first time. Previously, she had to give way to Rebecca Knaak, but now they played alongside her in a defensively strengthened back five. However, she only played for 13 minutes. Then, in her 86th international match, she was sent off with a red card.

What happened? The experienced defender, playing in her seventh tournament, grabbed her opponent Griedge Mbock Bathy's hair in the 11th minute and pulled her head back by her braid. The French women were taking a free kick, and Mbock and Hendrich had met in the penalty area. It took some time, but after a VAR alert, referee Tess Olofsson from Sweden reviewed the action on screen and awarded the penalty: Hendrich was sent off and France was awarded a penalty. Grace Geyoro converted to make it 1-0 in the 15th minute.

Wück doesn't want to say anything

It's unclear what Hendrich was thinking in this situation, or whether she even noticed that she grabbed Mbock's braid. She didn't comment after the match. Wück refused to comment on the situation on ZDF, after which he himself received a yellow card for complaining. In the subsequent press conference, he simply said: "All I can say is that she was surprised that she got the red card."

This was also reflected in the situation: Hendrich stared at the referee in complete horror, her mouth wide open, then put her hands over her face. She put one hand to her forehead before making her way to the substitutes' bench.

But surprise is no excuse. The red card was the earliest at this European Championship. And there's a second record to go with it: The German national team is the only one to have received two straight red cards at the European Championship. Against Sweden (1:4), Carlotta Wamser blocked the ball in front of the goal with her hand. Because she's a defender and not a goalkeeper, she was sent off after 31 minutes. So for the second time, the German national team decimated itself. Only four other players have received a red card at this European Championship so far - none of the teams are still in the competition.

For the second time, Wück was forced to reshuffle his defense due to Hendrich's intervention. And he will have to do it again. Although Wamser is allowed to play again, Hendrich has been suspended for at least one match by UEFA. In addition, midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken will miss the match after receiving her second yellow card. And whether Sarai Linder will be available remains to be seen. The woman, who had previously played as a left-back and switched to the right against France, had to be treated and taped long before the German bench after sustaining an injury in the 6th minute. But it was no use; after 20 minutes she was taken off, and Sophia Kleinherne made her tournament debut.

Was that it?

For Hendrich, the situation could get even more dire. It's questionable whether the 33-year-old will play another tournament. After several key players retired from the German national team last year, including long-time captain Alexandra Popp, defensive leader Marina Hegering, and the demoted goalkeeper Merle Frohms, she said she, too, was considering retirement: "Of course, you keep thinking about it, because, especially in recent years, the workload has been extremely high, and you obviously have to be careful how you manage your energy."

She then decided to continue: "As long as I'm having fun, as long as my body can stand up, and as long as I'm needed, I'll definitely stay in the national team," was her explanation. But the whole "being needed" thing is changing under Wück. Once a regular starter, she was relegated to the bench in the group stage. With her move to the USA, she's also somewhat out of the public eye, and Chicago, second to last in the league table, isn't a top team. And traveling from the USA for international matches is exhausting, both mentally and physically. The next tournament isn't until 2027, the World Cup in Brazil. After three summers full of competitions (2022 European Championship, 2023 World Cup, 2024 Olympics), there will be a break next year. If the German national team doesn't reach the final of this European Championship, it's quite possible that Hendrich will have finished her last DFB tournament game after just 13 minutes.