While England and Germany share an intense rivalry on the pitch, two players set to face off in Sundays Euro 2022 final are actually rather fond of each other.
England star Jess Carter is in a relationship with Germany's Ann-Katrin Berger, but feelings will be put to one side for the biggest event the women's game has seen for many years. The duo are actually teammates at club level, both often found donning the blue of Chelsea.
31-year-old Berger is aiming to help bring Die Mannschaft their ninth Euros crown, while Carter is hoping to pick up a winner's medal as part of the first ever Lionesses side to win the competition. The England star has not featured as much as she'd have hoped so far this tournament, coming off the bench just once.
Sunday evening's historic clash will see the pair go up against each other with plenty at stake. The couple have been together for four years, first crossing paths when German shot-stopper Berger played alongside England defender Carter when she joined Birmingham City.
However, they did not start their relationship until they both swapped Birmingham for the Blues. Carter moved to west London in the summer of 2018 before Berger followed suit 12 months later. One of them is guaranteed to be leaving Wembley empty-handed and upset.
Both of them have previous experience of playing under the iconic Wembley arch having represented Chelsea inside the ground for the FA Cup earlier this year, where they both lifted the trophy.
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In the wake of Germany's semi-final victory over France in mid-week, Chelsea's official twitter profile addressed the upcoming face-off between the pair by writing: "Well well well, we'll be seeing you both at Wembley!"
Carter has discussed her relationship with Berger at length previously, telling the Rainbow Laces campaign: "I think I was – and probably still am – more comfortable than Ann is with publicising our relationship. But that is just because Ann is a very private person whereas I am more of a ‘the whole world could know and I wouldn’t really care’ kind of person.
"Over time and because I will say whatever, she has kind of got used to it and goes with it. She doesn’t shout from the rooftop about it but equally when she is asked it is not a secret either. Not everybody is as comfortable announcing to the world who they are with but I think that is the same in straight and gay relationships."
