In terms of sport, this 31st match day of the men’s district league season 3 was no longer about anything. Both FSV Fortuna Pankow and SC Schwarz-Weiß Spandau can no longer be promoted shortly before the end of the season. The fact that neither players nor employees of both clubs will forget this day was due to the breath of the Champions League that was sprayed in the Kissingen Stadium.
Fortuna Pankow prevailed against 16 other clubs in the club challenge called by Toni and Felix Kroos. In the podcast of the two brothers, there was a big trill between the three clubs that made it to the final selection and were able to demonstrate their skills in different areas. Here, Fortuna convinced Toni in particular – and thus prevailed against SV Grün-Weiss Bergfelde and BSC Ideal Lebensversicherung.
The aim of the challenge was to draw more attention to amateur football again, Felix explained in “Einfach mal Luppen”, as Grandpa Kroos used to say to the two in relation to the “Lupfer” goal, and how they do theirs today call podcast.
The targeted goal of media and Berlin-wide attention was impressively achieved. A camera team from RBB was on site and the game was broadcast live on the internet. It was commented by Toni Kroos. Around 1,000 spectators were there, countless children who ran onto the field after the final whistle to touch the 31-year-old or to get an autograph. The mood was great, the “Nordatzen” ultras created atmosphere with loud singing, drumming and at the end with pyrotechnics. A goal wall, beer stand, bouncy castle and loudspeakers were set up at the edge of the field, the sun was shining and even grandma and grandpa Kroos couldn’t miss the comeback of their grandson.
Hardly anyone was interested in the fact that it was 0:3 (0:2) from Pankow’s point of view. Nevertheless, the former Bremen and Union player Felix Kroos struggled with the result shortly after the final whistle and mourned the missed opportunities. Spandau had already scored two goals within the first three minutes, which meant that victory in Kroos’ premiere was rapidly becoming a distant prospect.
He tried to steer the game, gave commands to his teammates again and again – and let his footballing qualities flash in one or the other diagonal pass. Nevertheless, it was normal that he wasn’t in the best physical condition after his long break, Toni later analyzed. “We will evaluate the game in the podcast,” announced the older brother during the game.
The focus was on all those things that make amateur football so valuable. High fives after a foul, short small talk with the referee, several “Let’s go” exclamations from Felix in the direction of his teammates, the bad grass, the team doctor who runs across the field while the game is in progress, the family on the sidelines and of course the freshness draft beer immediately after the final whistle.
“Today was a new experience for me, and after such a long time in football it’s very nice to experience something like that. It also shows that something has been achieved, that there are so many people coming,” said Kroos enthusiastically. In 2010 he played against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League for 55 minutes – at that time in a Werder Bremen shirt.
Grandpa, one of Toni and Felix’s most important people, was also happy with the outcome of the day: “I definitely don’t regret coming from Greifswald to Berlin and I’m very happy with Felix’s game. It was like in the best days, how he lasted the 90 minutes.”
Felix initially left open whether the grandfather would have to make the trip to Berlin again. He must see to what extent further assignments for Fortuna can be combined with his future professional activities. Most recently, he had resigned from his job as a youth coach at Union Berlin. However, after a day like this, it’s hard to imagine it remaining a one-off affair.
Because despite all the celebrations, one thing must not be forgotten: Felix Kroos is still missing a goal in the men’s amateur division.
