So what was it that stood out about Lia, ensuring that she had to play at another level?
“She was already really good at reading the game and finding good positions in the structure of the game, Rolf explained. “So to come from zone one to zone two, she was already really good. Also against the ball, she was always in a good position to close the room for the opponents, so she had a lot of wins of the ball already there.
“She had no actions in the offensive play at this moment, because in the boys team, she didn't have to do this, so if she came to the women's team, she had to develop this first. But she was already really good in our construction of the game, and also in every defence play, she could read the game really well.
“She lived with her family in Langnau, because that's pretty close, I think 40 minutes from Bern. So in the seventh to the ninth class, she was in Huttwil in a guest family, and then she came to Bern from 2009 to 2013, where she did an apprenticeship. She did the school in Bern, but she lived with her family in Langnau. I think she had a lot of friends and everything in Bern.”
Since leaving Young Boys, Lia went on to play for five years at Turbine Potsdam and then signed for us in 2018. She won the league as a Gunner in 2019 and has two FA Women’s League Cups to her name as well as one UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“I think it was clear that she will have a big career,” Rolf added. “So if you think about it then, Turbine Potsdam was a big club. They played in the Champions League final in the season when she moved there.
“For sure, they didn't have the development as Arsenal or Barcelona have now, but it was always clear that she will play for big clubs.”