Quietly, little you sit in the corner of the house. You watched your cheerful brother and relatives oblivious to the people on TV, fighting to the death over a black and white sphere. Sitting in the corner, disinterested, you could not understand why your brother, who always played with you, abandoned you when he saw the sphere.
Unawareness, consistent unawareness, was Schlotterbeck's first impression of soccer.
Too many talents were born in Stuttgart, Musiala, Rudiger all from Stuttgart, and Schlotterbeck, who didn't like the ball at first, was born here.
Before he was introduced to soccer, more often than not the most round thing Schlotterbeck saw was not the ball, but rather the familiar Mercedes in the neighborhood, and perhaps once upon a time speed was the biggest dream Schlotterbeck pursued.
Yet really no one can beat the charm of soccer, like the first time Schlotterbeck touched the ball. He watched his brother roll the ball over to him and without hesitation, as if by reflex, he lifted his left foot and made a smooth return pass. That was the first time Schlotterbeck ever touched a soccer ball, and it's the one he remembers the most.
This time around you told mommy a couple more times, I want a ball! More often than not you like to kick and play against the wall, immersed in your own little world.
Kicking and kicking, Schlotterbeck slowly learns why and how everyone in the family loves the ball. In this infinite space, you run and laugh, just as you once did when playing with toys. But the difference is that after learning how to play soccer, Schlotterbeck can finally play with his brother again. There was no need for a goal, no need for much space, just a ball that made the Schlotterbeck brothers' childhood rich forever.
And that's not an exaggeration; Schlotterbeck used soccer to get through his tough school years and even to the point where he is now a professional player. Banned from using cell phones and all kinds of electric toys since he was a kid, Schlotterbeck didn't get a taste of PlayStasion until he was 14, when he got to play Fifa 13 for real. With no time to use 3C software, all Schlotterbeck could do after school was to play soccer, soccer and soccer again.
The young Schlotterbeck also secretly made a wish in his heart that he and his brother would have the opportunity to play professionally together, and even more so that the two of them, who have a tacit understanding, would be able to play together on the same team, enjoy winning together, and be there for each other when they lose.
A nostalgic scene once upon a time in Stuttgart there were two Schlotterbeck brothers, Marc and Niels, who years ago were also the hope of Stuttgart, but not all stories are perfect. Just when it was expected that both would become heroes in their hometown, injuries finally took away the career of one of the brothers, Nico and Keven's father Marc also said goodbye to soccer.
However, Marc didn't give up his own soccer ideals, and he made an effort to keep soccer by his side, from watching it on TV, visiting the stadiums, and even playing with his sons. And this kind of action naturally also helped his two sons.
After his father Marc saw how much his two sons, Nico and Keven, loved to play soccer, and how he himself used to be a soccer player, Marc's never-before-fulfilled wish also fell to his two brothers. A devastating injury at the age of 18 buried Marc's lifelong dream, and every time he leaned on a soccer ball in a street-side stadium, his heart would not be able to hold back, and he would continue to torment himself. Until he looked at Nico, who was young, silent, and passionate about soccer, it was like looking at himself when he was a child, and it was here that Marc let go of his obsession, because he knew that with Nico and Keven, his unfinished wish would have a chance to be fulfilled.
After some thought, Marc also sent Nico to SG Weinstadt, a club close to his home, to learn soccer from the grassroots level and slowly enjoy it.
Sitting quietly on the sidelines, you couldn't understand why people weren't passing the ball to you, or why your mom was fighting with the whole family over soccer. You lost yourself.
