Sweden players had to show their genitalia at 2011 Women’s World Cup, says Nilla Fischer

Sweden’s players had to “show their genitalia for the doctor” at the 2011 Women’s World Cup to prove they were women, the team’s centre-back Nilla Fischer has revealed.

Writing in her new book – I Didn’t Even Say Half Of It – Fischer – who played 194 times for Sweden, described the process, which was conducted by a female physiotherapist on behalf of the doctor, as “humiliating”.

The gender tests were carried out around the 2011 tournament in Germany after protests from Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana relating to allegations that the Equatorial Guinea squad included men.

“We were told that we should not shave ‘down there’ in the coming days and that we will show our genetalia for the doctor,” Fischer writes. “No one understands the thing about shaving but we do as we are told and think ‘how did it get to this?’ Why are we forced to do this now, there has to be other ways to do this. Should we refuse?

“At the same time no one wants to jeopardise the opportunity to play at a World Cup. We just have to get the shit done no matter how sick and humiliating it feels.”

In an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Fischer detailed the process in more depth. “I understand what I have to do and quickly pull down my training pants and underwear at the same time,” she said. “The physio nods and says ‘yup’ and then looks out at the doctor who is standing with his back to my doorway. He makes a note and moves on in the corridor to knock on the next door.

“When everyone on our team is checked, that is to say, has exposed their vagina, our team doctor can sign that the Swedish women’s national football team consists only of women.”

Asked how it felt, Fischer said: “We had a very safe environment in the team. So it was