The Best Place To Be
Michael & Brigitte Schiradin, Germany
In a season like no other, Goal Click and Bundesliga have collaborated to tell stories from the heart and soul of Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s global fan base. From Mexico and the USA to Kuwait and Leverkusen, five fans shared the highs and lows of their journeys, the anticipation of a title race, and the celebration of a first-ever Bundesliga title.
Michael and Brigitte Schiradin are a mother and son duo from Eltville am Rhein in Germany who have loyally supported Leverkusen and traveled to matches for almost thirty years.
My name is Michael and I am 41 years old. I work in logistics at an electrical engineering factory called Jean Müller GmbH. I live with my mother, Brigitte, who is 75 years old. She used to work as a manicurist in a nail salon, but is now retired. We live together in a wine region called Eltville am Rhein in Germany.
We have always had a close bond. This bond became even stronger through our passion for Bayer 04 Leverkusen because we traveled a lot together. This meant we were able to spend quality time in the car, on the bus, or on the train.
Football is really important to our family because we have always grown up playing and watching it. It is simply our greatest passion in life.
Feeling At Home
We watch Bundesliga games all the time and you can usually find us together in the stadium in the SD3 standing section. For us, it is simply the best place to be because of the atmosphere and the energy of all the fans standing and cheering. Bundesliga is special because the stadiums are always full and the atmosphere is always great - especially at Leverkusen.
The fan culture in Germany is unique compared to other football leagues. Unlike in the Premier League, for example, there is no ban on flags, drums, or choreography in the stands. The energetic standing supporter areas, which are not permitted in England, are also great because fans stay engaged for the entire 90 minutes.
My very first football match was Leverkusen vs. FC Kaiserslautern on May 18th, 1996 when I was 13 years old. That day, Leverkusen was saved from relegation by a last minute goal in the 82nd minute from Markus Münch!
From day one, my heart belonged to the team. I thought the atmosphere and the game were simply outstanding. I immediately felt at home in the stadium.
I would travel 200 km on the train from my home to the stadium to watch the matches. My mom would drive me to the Sunday evening matches because there was no train service that late on a Sunday night so I had no way home! Because she would drive me, she would also come to the matches with me. She quickly progressed from a car service to a passionate fan!
Today, she has three dogs - one ten year old Great Dane and two Briards aged three and six. All three of them always watch with her at home when she cannot attend the match in person and before every match, they must lie down on a Leverkusen blanket for good luck!
Homegrown Together
My mother never never played football herself but I did play from the age of four. For years, I played in the District League B (third from the bottom) for my hometown club SV Erbach 1913 e.V. and we always narrowly missed promotion - until we finally managed it in the district league! In between, I played in Hattenheim for two and a half years, even playing in two higher classes.
My mother would regularly come to my matches, even when I was still playing actively in his thirties. Even though I do not play anymore, we still go to watch our home club together. I even volunteer to make bratwurst and fries at a food stand!
Highs and Lows
As Leverkusen fans, there have been many highlights for us. These include making it to the DFB-Pokal Cup and Champions League Final in the 2001/02 season after nearly being relegated the previous season.
Unfortunately, there were also low points because we failed to win any titles - until now of course!
By far the biggest low point was on the last matchday on May 20, 2000, when we only needed one point to win the Championship against Unterhaching (who had already been relegated) but we ended up losing 2-0.
On game days, we show our support for Leverkusen by proudly standing and cheering on our time for the full 90 minutes. If our voices are hoarse by the end of the match, we know we did our job right!
Leverkusen Legends
My favorite Leverkusen players are Zé Roberto and Ulf Kirsten. Zé Roberto because of his unique dribbling skills and because he was the best left winger in Europe at the time (in my opinion!). He always gave a top performance and we scouted him from Real Madrid’s second team at the time.
And Ulf Kirsten was simply amazing and he was always positive about Leverkusen. He was such a great striker and always loyal to the team. A club icon.
My mother and I both agree that all the players on the 2023/24 team are great - especially Granit Xhaka and Florian Witz. She also likes Bernd Schneider because he played like a Brazilian!
We Finally Have A Crown
Leverkusen winning their first-ever Bundesliga title means everything to us. Words cannot describe the feelings that day, though if I had to try and explain it, maybe it felt something like the day when your first child is born.
The championship title also cannot be described in words. It was a very long journey without a title, and now we finally have a crown. After 28 years of supporting the team, we saw the football gods shine down on Leverkusen and we are so happy to have been a part of the celebrations. As a fan, you wait and hope for this moment your whole life.
