Zara Kramzar’s story: a one-on-one with the Slovenian footballer

A ball in front of the house. No matches on television, no idol to imitate. Just a little girl and a passion born almost by chance. This is how the story of Zara Kramzar begins, a Slovenian midfielder born in 2006, who has been with Como Women since the summer of 2024.

“I don’t know where this passion came from,” Zara says. “I could have played basketball like my sister, but instead I chose football.” A simple yet powerful desire that took her from her first kicks outside her home to the international stage.

Football-wise, Zara grew up in Črnuče, her hometown, where she played for years with boys, never once feeling different. The pitch was her natural space. After moving to Olimpia and then Slovan, the time came for the most important choice of her life: leaving home. At just 16 years old, Zara flew to Italy to join Roma, chasing a dream that had become crystal clear—to make football her profession. Wearing the Giallorosse shirt, she won a Primavera Scudetto, a Coppa Italia, a Italian Supercup and two league titles, experiences that profoundly shaped her journey. But every career is also made of new challenges.

In the summer of 2024 came the opportunity with Como Women—an offer Zara immediately felt was right for her. “I already liked the way they played, even before. They seemed like a good club. From the very beginning, it felt right and suited to me.” In Como, she found a growing, ambitious environment where something could be built together. She therefore decided to stay on for another season, renewing her loan from Roma. “It’s a moment in my career where I feel I still need to grow. Here we can grow together: me with the team, the team with me.”

Her contribution in midfield is marked by quality, vision, and personality, despite her young age. A rare balance that combines talent with the carefree nature of youth, and one that hasn’t gone unnoticed off the pitch either. In November 2023, the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo awarded her the Trofeo Promesa as the best young international prospect in women’s football. In October 2024, she was included in the Golden Girl list, among the best Under-21 players in Europe. Important awards that Zara approaches with clarity and maturity. “These recognitions make me happy and confirm that I’m on the right path. But in the end, I only compete with myself and try to improve every day.” A mindset that says a lot about the person, even before the footballer.

Zara doesn’t deny that she faced some prejudice in the past. “‘Women play football too? But that’s a sport for men!’—I’ve heard that many times. But as a child I always played with boys and never felt different.” Today, however, she sees real change. “Women’s football is growing a lot, especially in Europe. People watch us, follow us, wear players’ jerseys. We can still do more, but the movement is heading in the right direction.”

Behind the footballer is a young woman deeply attached to her family, her first and greatest supporters. “When I left home at 16, I realized how important they were. Now every time I go back, it’s special.”

In her free time, Zara likes to switch off from football: cooking, watching TV series, spending time with friends. No excesses, no special rituals—just balance.

And looking ahead? “In ten years I still see myself playing, in a team where I feel good, with an important role. My biggest dream is to play in the European Championships and World Cup with Slovenia, maybe even win the Women’s Champions League. And off the pitch, I’d like to be a person people speak well of.”

To young girls who dream of football, Zara sends a clear message: “I tell them to start without fear, to chase their dreams and work hard to achieve them. Football teaches you a lot—not only in sport, but also in life.”