"At the table I become a lioness": How does one become a professional table football player, Linh Tran?

"Foosball is a bit like tennis, a duel," says Linh Tran. "The difference is that we players stand so close together that we can smell our opponents' sweat, see the veins in their eyes, feel their breath. You can tell who's insecure by their quirks and habits." The slightest mistake is then exploited. "When the going gets tough, I become completely still. And strike with lightning speed. At the table, I become a lioness."

Kick-off

When Linh Tran first stood at a foosball table at the age of 18, it was like an awakening. "It clicked immediately," she says: "The speed, the absolute concentration, the technical finesse." During her school days, she enjoyed playing chess, a tactically demanding game, but only for fun. Then, after graduating from high school, she moved into a shared apartment in Hamburg to study. Back then, her boyfriend took her to an Irish pub and showed her how to play foosball. That was in 2014. While foosball is still a predominantly male sport today, Linh Tran is now a world champion, and at the end of June, she will defend her title at the World Championships in Zaragoza, Spain.

Psycho? Psycho!

Linh Tran has been working with mental coaches since 2018. Because that's what ultimately counts in a tournament: not getting distracted, staying calm under pressure, and focusing on the next point. To perfect this, Linh Tran reads books by sports professionals that describe their mental strategy – for example, the biography of Rafael Nadal. And then there are her pre-match rituals: the red headscarf she always wears, the way she packs her gym bag, the energy bar she eats. "In tournaments and in business, I'm serious and focused," she says. "Beyond that, I'm more of a relaxed, funny, and easygoing person."

Profession instead of hobby

After her initial enthusiasm, extensive training at Hamburg foosball clubs, and ultimately major international titles (including multiple world champion in singles and doubles), Linh Tran took the decisive step three years ago: After completing her bachelor's degree in business administration, she decided to focus fully on the sport. Today, she is one of the few professional players and can earn a living from table football: from tournaments, workshops, and corporate events. She has sponsors, a YouTube channel ("Foosball with Linh"), and an online shop for foosball accessories and sportswear.

Where is this going to lead?

Linh Tran wants to one day be the best not only among women, but also in the open class, competing with men. To make table football history. To show that women have a place here too. Because purely anatomically, men do have advantages: they are taller, and their shots are harder. "But that can be compensated for with a stronger psyche; in my eyes, we women are equal," says Linh Tran. "In the past, some men would laugh at me before matches. Today, I've earned their respect." Currently, only male players are at the top of the open world rankings. For now.

Linh Tran trains three to five hours a day on the foosball table. Several times a week, she does strength training: deadlifts, bench presses, and wrist strengthening. Major tournaments can sometimes last over ten hours. "I stand hunched over, tense, at the table; my body has to get used to it," she says. Added to that are game analyses and tournament travel. Her playing partner, coach, and biggest supporter is her fiancé Tobias Müller, with whom she lives.

Brigitte

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