Her studies in German language and literature at the German Faculty of Tongji University in Shanghai brought Jun Zheng to Germany and Borussia Dortmund in 2007. Today, she is a lecturer at the Shanghai Institute of Technology and supports her beloved team from afar.

How does a young woman so far away in China become a Borussia Dortmund fan?
When the Chinese professional league launched in 1994, people also began paying more attention to Europe’s top five leagues. Match highlights – and sometimes even whole games – were shown on TV. I was drawn to Borussia Dortmund straightaway, not least because of their great black and yellow shirts. But, of course, also because of the excellent football they played. Stars like Lars Ricken, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Matthias Sammer and Michael Zorc captivated Chinese fans and won a place deep in my heart.

Have you ever been to a live match?
Yes, on October 31, 2007. My good friend, writer Heinrich Peuckmann, whom I got to know in 2005 during his guest professorship in China on German literature, invited me to the cup match against Eintracht Frankfurt. Floodlights and a 2:1 victory. The atmosphere in the stadium was explosive. I cheered, screamed and whistled. Now I could proudly claim to be a real Borussia Dortmund supporter.

Did you fly over to Dortmund from China specifically for the game?
No. At that time, I was in Germany for four months to finish my master’s thesis on the language of sport, particularly the language of football. Going to the stadium and my numerous conversations with Heinrich were extremely valuable for my studies.

Where do you live now and how do you keep up with Borussia Dortmund games?
I live in Shanghai and work as a lecturer at the German Faculty of the Shanghai Institute of Technology, and I am also completing my PhD on the language of sport. My supervisor is Professor Armin Burkhardt from the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, who specializes in the language of football. He has been a loyal fan of his home team Eintracht Braunschweig for many years and is proud that the “father of football” – Konrad Koch, who published the first German version of the rules of football in 1875 – also came from Braunschweig. Since becoming a mother four years ago, I have less time to follow football. But when I do, I spend it watching my Borussia Dortmund!
Interview: Uwe Schedlbauer

In this section, our main sponsor Evonik, who supports us at all of our international games, lets soccer fans who feel close to Borussia Dortmund but live nowhere near SIGNAL IDUNA PARK have their say.