With the full force of his imposing appearance, Peter Fischer boarded the stage of the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden, in a gray suit with orange-red sneakers and chose to flee forward: "I would have chosen you, Martina!" shouted the President of Frankfurt Eintracht to the trainer of the German women's national team - which got the laughs on his side.
He shared the audience's applause, which was actually due to the winning team, with the third-placed team: "You have my very great respect".
Achim Dreis
sports editor.
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However, the team of the year was not won by Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's women's soccer team, but by the men's soccer team from Peter Fischer's Frankfurter Eintracht.
When voted by the members of the Association of German Sports Journalists, the Bundesliga team received 975 votes thanks to its surprising win in the Europa League.
The women's national soccer team, which came second at the European Championships in the summer under Voss-Tecklenburg's guidance, came in at 828 and took third place in the athletes' choice.
In between, the sprint women (895), who were decorated with gold at the European Championships and bronze at the 2022 World Cup, placed around the athlete of the year, Gina Lückenkemper.
Only dry greetings
The women's soccer team started as a team, and the relay runners also came in fours to receive the honor and ovations from the 500 or so guests - but not the kickers from the "soccer capital" Frankfurt.
"Unfortunately, no one can be there," regretted Fischer, and assured with a big gesture and a faithful look: "They would all like to be here." the world, Japan, South America, Africa - if they didn't just have to take part in the World Cup final like the Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani.
Only a dry greeting came from goalkeeper Kevin Trapp from his vacation home.
Trainer Oliver Glasner also dedicated the success to all employees and fans via video recording.
At the front, the President held out his head: "The only one who didn't score a goal, who didn't save a penalty, is here," Fischer moderated himself - and alternately described himself as "idiot" and "fool".
The 66-year-old two-meter man made a real effort to fill the gap left by his team on stage.
With flowery words he recalled the "passion" that characterizes the team, which drove them to victories over FC Barcelona, West Ham United or Glasgow Rangers and thus to the European Cup victory, and culminated his acceptance speech on his own behalf with a nice metaphor: "We gave away goosebumps in the subscription." The passion that lies in football, and that always arouses enthusiasm in people of all stripes, is the factor that made Fischer ring out.
Authentic and likeable
It also honored the laudator of the evening, who has seen himself as a great supporter of Eintracht since childhood: Sebastian Vettel.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion from Heppenheim, who grew up barely half an hour's drive from the Hessian metropolis ("depending on how fast you drive"), recited a self-written ode to unity, in which he used set pieces from various Eintracht fan songs served.
The fact that he got stuck twice trying to recite the laudation by heart and had to use his cell phone as a cheat sheet only made his presentation even more authentic and likeable.
"I usually talk a lot and I'm not nervous," said Vettel, "but it's a special moment."
Fischer hugged Vettel with tears in his eyes and was not the only one touched in the room.
"That's great.
Great".
The world champion as a fan – that too is part of the secret magic of football.
But in order for things to stay that way, football would have to be modest – Fischer also noted that in the evening.
"Football runs around the clock," he criticized the tactics of the broadcasting streaming services and television stations: "The biggest crap is now being shown there.
That's absolute overconsumption and that's not good for us as a sport."
Other sports, on the other hand, are far too little present in the media, regretted Fischer and recalled that "seinen Eintracht" is a club of diversity, with more than 50 sports.
“There are a lot of fascinating things there.
Frisbee, for example: "That's crazy, what they've got." And they would certainly come if they were honored.
