A footballer has been left utterly heartbroken after his wife tragically passed away just days after giving birth to their second child. Playmaker Markus Mendler was absent from FC Homburg’s 1–1 draw away in Frankfurt last Friday (April 17) with the club citing “personal reasons”. It subsequently emerged that his wife, Tamara Mendler, herself a former professional footballer, had died during the night, aged just 32.
FC Homburg said in a statement: “We were devastated and deeply shocked to learn of the death of our player Markus Mendler’s wife. Tamara Mendler passed away far too early on Friday night after a short but serious illness. Only a few days ago, she gave birth to a healthy child, which makes this loss all the more unimaginable and painful. We are all left utterly speechless.”
Markus joined 1. FC Saarbrucken in 2016 before making the switch to Homburg in 2021. It was during his time at Saarbrücken that he met Tamara, who represented the club’s women’s side in the 2. Bundesliga, playing under her maiden name Tröster.
The club paid a heartfelt tribute, saying: “Tamara was a key part of our women’s team for many years and left a lasting mark on the club with her personality. On and off the pitch, she was a valued teammate and a role model.”
Away from football, Tamara also undertook training with the Saarland police force. Markus, 33, has spent the majority of his career in Germany’s fourth tier, the Regionalliga Sudwest, while also making appearances in the DFB-Pokal – the German equivalent of the FA Cup.
A native of Memmingen, he has turned out for clubs across the country, including 1. FC Nurnberg, and has represented Germany at U20, U19 and U18 level.
Tamara, a midfielder, last took to the pitch in the 2016/17 season. FC Saarbrucken said: “Our thoughts are especially with her husband Markus Mendler, who also has close ties to the club, as well as with their children, family and friends.”
