German player slams Rosberg's 'Paralympics' remark

BERLIN, June 28, 2011 (AFP) - A German footballer at the women's World Cup has shown the red card to Formula One driver Nico Rosberg after her countryman compared women's football to the Paralympics.

Hosts and defending champions Germany play Nigeria in their second Group A match on Thursday in Frankfurt after beating Canada 2-1 in Berlin on Sunday.

But Germany defender Saskia Bartusiak is far from happy about Rosberg's comments, made during a Formula One press conference in Valencia, when he drew a comparison between women's football and disabled sport.

"I think what he said is embarrassing. This shows that he hasn't got much of a clue what he is talking about," said Bartusiak, who played against Canada.

Rosberg has fallen offside with his compatriot for comments he made when asked about women's football.

During a conversation with journalists about the World Cup, he remarked: "Then you have the Paralympics, which people also watch on TV. In the Paralympics, you have athletes whose performance falls short of the very best but who are all competing on the same level, so it's still makes exciting viewing."

But he later insisted his comments were taken out of context. "I would like to set the record straight: I am a fan of the German women's football team and will be cheering them on during the World Cup," he said on
his website.

"Equally, I also follow some of the events in the Paralympics."

The three week-long tournament finishes with the final in Frankfurt on Sunday July 17.