Germany goalie Merle Frohms retires from national team after being benched at Olympics

FRANKFURT, Germany — Goalkeeper Merle Frohms is retiring from the Germany women's team, shortly after she was surprisingly benched for the Paris Olympics tournament.

Frohms played 52 times for Germany, including its run to the final at the European Championship in 2022 and a shock group-stage exit at the World Cup the following year.

Frohms said on Tuesday in a statement from the German soccer federation that she wanted to focus on her club career with Wolfsburg and looked forward to “having more time with family and friends again.”

The 29-year-old Frohms said she had already decided last year to leave the national team after the Olympic tournament. Gotham FC's Ann-Katrin Berger was Germany's starting goalkeeper as the team won the bronze medal last month. Frohms was on the bench throughout.

Coach Christian Wück, who took over after the Olympics, said Frohms would have remained a key player if she had continued.

“I would have been very happy to work with Merle and I made that clear to her as well in a personal conversation,” he said in a statement. “Now she has made this decision, which I obviously must respect.”