Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema revealed that her recent absence from the final weeks of the Women’s Super League was due to her mother’s serious health problems, the report says. Miedema missed City’s last two WSL matches while her team-mates held up a shirt with her name and number as they celebrated being crowned champions.
Per the report, Miedema wrote on Instagram that her mother suffered serious complications after chemotherapy and had been in the intensive care unit. She said her family had endured a difficult period and that her mother was still alive after what she described as a near-fatal episode, now facing a slow recovery with “many big hurdles ahead,” the report says.
The report adds that Miedema thanked supporters for their messages and said she is eager to share the title triumph with her mother. The Dutch international missed the conclusion of the season amid the family emergency, with the club’s public display of her shirt part of the team celebration on Wednesday night, the report says.
Miedema, described in the report as the leading scorer in WSL history, contributed 10 goals in 19 appearances this season as City clinched their first league title since 2016. The report notes she is 29 years old and that her on-field form helped City reach the championship.
City’s coronation was confirmed after Arsenal dropped points at Brighton, the report says. Arsenal’s 1-1 draw in the first of three matches in hand meant they could no longer catch City, and the report also notes Arsenal’s defence of their Women’s Champions League title ended the previous week after a semi-final loss to Lyon.
