Malaurie Granges was regarded as one of the greatest talents in Swiss women's football, but then the injury witch struck mercilessly and slowed her down. Now 23 years old, the YB player is back in the fast lane.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Malaurie Granges was predicted to have a great career, but then the YB player tore her left cruciate ligament in 2023 and her right one year later.
- Granges celebrated her comeback in the second half of last season and the championship title at the end of the season.
- On Friday evening, the 23-year-old will be aiming to defend her title. To do so, YB will have to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Servette at the Stade de Genève.
- Hopes are also pinned on Granges, who dreams of playing abroad and for the national team and is indispensable to the YB offense.
In the first leg of the final against Servette, Malaurie Granges was one of the most eye-catching players on the pitch. Although she was denied a goal in the 2-1 defeat in the Wankdorf, she still stood out with her offensive actions. The 23-year-old is also likely to play an important role in the Bernese team's attack in the second leg on Friday.
Granges, a former international, was once regarded as one of the biggest talents in Swiss women's football. She made her first-team debut for YB in 2021 at the age of 18 and made 19 appearances in her first season as a professional (3 goals, 2 assists), also completing the top-class sports academy in Magglingen in the summer. In the 2022/23 season, she is already a regular and plays an outstanding first round, scoring 6 goals in 10 games.
Two cruciate ligament ruptures within a year
But then it happened: on March 11, 2023, in the second game of the second half of the season, YB's most prolific scorer at the time tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. "That was the hardest moment of my life. Lots of emotions, doubts and lots of questions to which I had no answers," Granges writes on her own homepage.
But the worst was yet to come. On 10 February 2024, she came on as a 72nd-minute substitute in the second-round opener against Aarau and scored 11 minutes later to make it 4-0. It would have been a dream comeback had the injury witch not struck again. In one of the last actions of the game, Granges tore her cruciate ligament again, this time in her left knee.
As after the first cruciate ligament rupture, she undergoes an operation. She also decided to give up her job as a carpenter in order to concentrate fully on football, and initially on optimal rehabilitation. And so Granges fights her way back again, playing in all six play-off games on the way to the sensational championship title last year.
It is balm for the soul after her time of suffering. She takes photos with her family and says in an interview: "It's really incredible." Afterwards, she runs to the center circle and celebrates the championship title with her teammates. Also with Iman Beney and Naomi Luyet, who, like her, come from Valais and know what it's like to be out for a long time due to injury.
They all played their part in helping YB turn things around in the final second leg against GC after losing the first leg 1-0. Brought on with Luyet in the 60th minute, YB drew 1-1 five minutes later. In the 69th minute, Granges went one-on-one and could only be stopped with a foul. Top scorer Courtney Strode converted the penalty to make it 2:1. Luyet and Beney later scored in the penalty shoot-out.
Title defense, abroad, national team?
This season, Granges is once again an undisputed regular for the reigning Swiss champions. She has appeared in over 30 games in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and setting up 2 others. YB also need goals in the second leg of the final against Servette at the Stade de Genève on Friday, as the first leg at the Wankdorf was lost 2-1 in front of almost 8,000 spectators on Monday.
It would be the perfect stage for Malaurie Granges to take another step towards her big goals. Speaking to blue Sport ahead of the play-off final, she makes no secret of the fact that she still has a lot to achieve as a footballer: "I've lost two years due to injuries. But it's still a goal of mine to move abroad and play for the national team at some point." The fact that they have to play against a dreaded opponent, Servette of all teams, only drives her on even more: "We've always lost or drawn against them. Now would be a good time to beat them."
Beney (19) and Luyet (20) showed that YB can be a career springboard. They matured into international players in Bern and moved to Manchester City and Hoffenheim last summer as Swiss champions. Grange's contract with YB runs until the summer of 2028, but if she does indeed lead the Bernese to the championship title on Friday evening, one or two of her dreams could soon come true. Because she has long been on the radar of teams from abroad ...
You can follow the second leg of the final between Servette and YB in the live ticker on blue News from 19:00.
