“Hope you die”
National player speaks about death threats
January 8, 2025 – 8:24 p.mReading time: 2 min.
Lena Oberdorf’s move to FC Bayern was the most expensive in the Bundesliga. Now the actor is talking about nasty reactions to it.
The German national player Lena Oberdorf is the most expensive player in the women’s Bundesliga. The shooting star moved from VfL Wolfsburg to FC Bayern last summer for 450,000 euros. A decision that not every fan liked. Oberdorf was the victim of hate messages and even death threats on social media. One comment on Instagram even said: “I hope you die.”
The 23-year-old had to withdraw; she initially deleted Instagram, as she now told Felix Neureuther and Philipp Nagel’s “Pizza & Fries” podcast. “That’s the shit about social media, that everyone writes shit anonymously.”
Oberdorf’s move to Munich was already leaked in February 2024 – still in the middle of the season. She is one of the fan favorites in Wolfsburg and in the German women’s national team, but the move to go to the biggest title rival was met with anger by some fans. Also because some statements flew around Oberdorf’s ears.
In 2022, she told “Sport Bild” when asked about the song “Bayern” by the Toten Hosen: “Yes, of course, I know it. I can’t imagine going to Bayern either.” Now she explained herself in the podcast: “I wasn’t that experienced with the media and then you just say something like that out of emotion.”
When the “Wolves” were dismantled 0-4 by the Munich team in mid-March, Oberdorf was overwhelmed: “I was under so much pressure because I thought the championship was over.” The first news didn’t take long to arrive.
A user asked her: “Are you already going to cheer for Bayern in the dressing room?” Oberdorf didn’t let the comment get to her, she was already expecting “that it would make such waves – even before the signature.” For Oberdorf himself, however, it was “the worst thing that could have happened: in the middle of the season, in the middle of the championship fight, cup final, that it came out there.”
When the news came in gradually, Oberdorf made a drastic decision: “It was out and I first deleted Instagram. I then told my management, let’s make a quick cut. Because I just wanted to protect myself. ” But the pressure continued – even months later.
In May, Oberdorf – still wearing the VfL jersey – and FC Bayern met again in the DFB Cup final. “I had half a panic attack before the game because I thought, ‘This can’t be happening. We have to win this. I couldn’t cope at all because my heart was going really fast.’ After 90 minutes, Wolfsburg celebrated a 2-0 win – and the midfielder could breathe deeply.
Oberdorf is now playing in Munich, but she hasn’t been able to make her debut for Bayern yet: she suffered a cruciate and medial ligament injury in the European Championship qualifier against Austria (4-0) in July. That’s why Oberdorf missed the Olympic Games in Paris, where the DFB women won the bronze medal.