Anouk Dekker retires from professional football

She is one of the most outstanding and successful football players of her generation: Anouk Dekker – long-time Dutch national team player, European Champion, World Cup runner-up, Champions League and Olympic participant.

And: Our captain at FC Viktoria Berlin during the promotion-winning 2024/25 season.

After this impressive career, Anouk will retire from professional football at the end of the season. Time to look back on more than two decades at the top level of the game.

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From Wierden to the international stage

Born in 1986 and raised in Wierden, the Netherlands, Anouk laced up her football boots for the first time at the age of six at SVZW, together with her twin brother Xander. At the age of 19, she made her first move abroad to Germany, just a 45-minute drive away in the Münsterland region. From 2005 to 2007, she played in the Bundesliga with FFC Heike Rheine.

In the 2007/2008 season, she returned to her home country and joined the newly founded women’s team of FC Twente Enschede. Until 2015, she made a total of 168 appearances for the red “Tukkers” and scored an impressive 67 goals over eight years. During this time, Anouk developed into a true leader. As captain, she played a key role in establishing FC Twente as one of the country’s top clubs – including three national championships in the Eredivisie and later the BeNe League (2011, 2013, 2014).

Thanks to her strong performances at club level, Anouk also made her way into the national team. She made her debut for the Netherlands five days after her 23rd birthday, on 21 November 2009, in a World Cup qualifier against Belarus. From then on, she was a permanent member of the Dutch squad at the European Championships in 2013 and 2017 as well as the World Cups in 2015 and 2019.

Off to France and the greatest triumph

At club level, she made another move abroad in January 2016, this time to France to join first-division side HSC Montpellier. The defender made 100 appearances for the club from southern France, including matches in the UEFA Champions League, where they reached the quarter-finals twice.

During her 5 years at Montpellier, Anouk also celebrated the greatest international successes in the history of Dutch women’s football with the national team. In 2017, she became European champion at the home Euros – a historic triumph on home soil. Two years later, she once again played a key role at the Netherlands’ only second World Cup appearance: at the 2019 tournament in France, she helped lead the team to the final against the USA and became a World Cup runner-up.

Full focus on club football

After a total of 87 international caps, Anouk played her last match for the “Oranje Leeuwinnen” in early 2021 at the age of 34. She made room for a new generation and once again focused fully on her club career.

So in 2021, she moved once more – this time to Portugal. She spent two years playing for Portuguese top club Sporting Braga, where she won the League Cup, before choosing in 2023 to take the path to Berlin to join us at FC Viktoria Berlin. With her football intelligence, composure and presence in central defence, as well as her outstanding leadership qualities off the pitch, Anouk was a key factor in the success of the current season, helping secure the championship in the Regionalliga Nordost and direct promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. 

Her international experience and professional expertise were passed on to her teammates in her always open, honest and empathetic manner and also brought in strategically: Anouk was actively involved in youth development. Together with Laura Casanovas, she worked over the past two years in the area of “Talent Development and Strategic Football Partnerships Management”, dedicating herself to building and advancing the club’s female youth development structures.

Dankjewel Anouk!

Now a new chapter begins: our number 35, Anouk Dekker, will end her professional playing career at the end of this season. FC Viktoria Berlin congratulates Anouk on an extraordinary career – on the pitch and beyond. With her playing style, her presence and tireless commitment, she has not only decided games over more than two decades but has also significantly shaped and advanced women’s football. And we are convinced: she will continue to have an impact on the game in the future.

Dankjewel Anouk, and all the best for what lies ahead! 💜

We’re absolutely delighted that Anouk will remain part of FC Viktoria Berlin and join our staff team from next season onwards. As the new assistant coach, she will support head coach Miren Catovic on the sidelines.