A soccer player is completely heartbroken after his wife tragically passes away just days after giving birth to their second child. Playmaker Markus Mendler missed the 1-1 away draw with FC Homburg in Frankfurt last Friday (April 17) citing “personal reasons”. It was later revealed that his wife, Tamara Mendler, herself a former professional soccer player, had passed away that night at just 32 years old.
FC Homburg said in a statement: “We are devastated and deeply shocked to learn of the death of the wife of player Markus Mendler. Tamara Mendler passed away far too soon on Friday night after a short but serious illness. Only a few days earlier she had given birth to a healthy child, which makes this loss even more unimaginable and painful. We are all at a loss for words.”
Markus joined First Division FC Saarbrücken in 2016 and moved to Homburg in 2021. He met Tamara while he was at Saarbrücken, where his maiden name was Trester and she was playing for the Bundesliga second division women’s team.
The club expressed their heartfelt condolences: “Tamara was a central figure in our women’s team for many years and left a lasting mark on the club with her personality. She was a valued teammate and a role model both on and off the pitch.”
Apart from soccer, Tamara also trained with the Saarland Police. Markus, 33, has spent most of his career in Germany’s fourth tier, Regionalliga Sudwest, and has also appeared in the DFB Pokal, Germany’s equivalent of the FA Cup.
The Memmingen native played for clubs across the country, including 1.FC Nürnberg, and represented Germany at U20, U19 and U18 level.
Midfielder Tamara last appeared on the pitch in the 2016/17 season. FC Saarbrücken said: “Our thoughts are especially with her husband Markus Mendler, who has a close relationship with the club, as well as their children, family and friends.”
