Why a German football superstar is now playing in the third tier

"Not normal." It is a phrase that Alexandra Popp turns to more than once when speaking after her debut for Borussia Dortmund. She has scored twice. The team has won 3-0. Nothing unusual there. But the crowd of 4,572 in Germany's third tier is new.

Popp is already a phenomenon here. The average attendance at Dortmund last season was below half the number at the atmospheric Stadion Rote Erde for this game against Arminia Bielefeld. Season ticket sales have almost tripled from 600 to 1700.