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Shademan Souri sells frozen pizzas with a Gießen start-up – one of them got him into trouble with Uefa
Photo: Pizza Cloud
Shademan Souri, 31, is a pizza baker - and until about two years ago he sold fresh pizza on site in his "Wolke" pizzeria in Giessen.
The lockdown forced the entrepreneur to rethink.
Souri started selling frozen pizzas.
Until he got a lawyer's letter from Munich.
His latest frozen creation apparently annoyed Uefa – because of the alleged risk of confusion with a well-known football competition.
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Souri, you own a pizzeria, what is your business model?
Souri:
We used to have a pizzeria and a pasta shop.
Because of Corona we switched to frozen pizza.
We now produce on 2000 square meters for more than 1000 supermarkets.
We wanted to add a funghi pizza to our range and called it »Champignons League«.
MIRROR:
And then?
Souri:
At the end of the year, a letter from Uefa came from a law firm in Munich.
In it they warned us and said there was a risk of confusion between the pizza and the Uefa Champions League.
They asked us to cancel the trademark, but we had registered the trademark rights.
When we refused, we were threatened with a lawsuit.
SPIEGEL:
How did you react after reading this letter?
Souri:
I laughed loud and long.
I thought to myself: how cool is it that such a huge institution as Uefa takes notice of us and thinks it has to warn us.
I thought it was funny - and I still think it's funny, to be honest.
SPIEGEL:
What did those around you say about the letter?
Souri:
Only a few advised me to take action against Uefa.
But that's what they expect when they send out letters like this - that people will be put off and back off.
But that's generally not my nature, that I let myself be suppressed.
I knew we were legally safe - so let's take action against it.
SPIEGEL:
And how did you proceed then?
Souri:
We let the deadlines expire.
The first time we sent a nice letter saying we wouldn't do it because pizza has little to do with football.
The second time we let it expire and posted it on our page.
SPIEGEL:
The case received a lot of public attention.
How did Uefa react then?
Souri:
We haven't had any direct contact with the lawyers or Uefa since then.
But they have now responded to press inquiries that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with our delicious pizza.
The direct message is sure to come.
And the »Mushroom League« will continue to be produced.
SPIEGEL:
What consequences did the whole thing have for you?
Souri:
It was a blessing.
As a small start-up with a small marketing budget, you gratefully accept something like that.
We are not guilty of anything.
Perhaps what will happen now is what we never intended: that we will become famous on the basis of the famous name and that pizza will become well-known.
Uefa made sure of that.
SPIEGEL:
On Instagram, your new fans are now demanding a "Superleague Pizza."
Are you planning one?
Souri:
We still have a few things up our sleeve, but all in good time.