Seeing beyond red: The connections forged at the Homeless World Cup
|The German team at the 2024 Seoul Homeless World Cup proudly wore the German national team’s away kit in shades of pink and purple, rather than the traditional red or white. Image: Anita Milas
By Fiona Crawford
At a tournament where by coincidence many teams wore red jerseys, one team that could traditionally wear red, Germany, wore a shirt that featured a gradient of pink to purple. The away jersey for the German national team released ahead of the 2024 Euros that the 2024 Homeless World Cup team too was proudly kitted out in, the jersey represented a distinctive and refreshing alternative jersey in the red mix.
The shirt colour change was also handy for fans and the Homeless World Cup media as they sought to distinguish the team on the pitch and in the crowd. That’s in part because the German team is traditionally unassuming in its tournament approach—it’s incredibly respectful of its opponents on the pitch and reasonably reserved off it.
The German program came about after one of its founders and organisers Johan Graßhoff crossed paths with Arkady Tyurin while studying in Russia. The Russian team, with Arkady at the helm, was once a Homeless World Cup fixture. The Russian team may not have participated in the tournament in recent years but has been a similarly reserved but integral part of the Homeless World Cup community—one that has, when it’s been in attendance, also worn red.
Shirt colour notwithstanding, such international connections are characteristic of the Homeless World Cup community, with just as many organisers’ paths crossing and an organic support network developing across the countries within and beyond tournaments.
At the 2024 tournament, for example, there was camaraderie between the German-speaking German, Austrian, and Swiss teams—the three forged a fairly special connection, which even saw the Swiss team gift the German team red-and-white Swiss scarves.
|The German and Cambodian teams developed a strong bond across the tournament. Image: Anita Milas
But German player Steffan Behrendt and German co-organiser Johan simultaneously noted in many ways language didn’t matter. ‘I don’t think many of us speak, is it Cambodian? What’s the Cambodian language?’ they say. The German and Cambodian teams developed a strong bond across the tournament and the two met on the pitch in the semi-finals for their respective trophy, which Germany narrowly won by edging Cambodia out on heart-stopping penalties.
For Steffan, the win was great, but the participation element was greater. ‘I got involved [in street soccer] because of personal issues. I was in rehab,’ he explains. His time in rehab came off the back of a series of challenges.
‘I got in my situation in the past because I had bad relationship and lost my job. Two months later, I got an ACL injury. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I couldn’t really meet some friends when [my ACL] healed [due to lockdowns and social distancing]. It was forbidden for teams to play, actually, and then problems came.’
There were various sports available as part of rehab activities, of which street soccer was one. Steffan tried his hand at a bunch of the sports, but it was football he most took to.
Through consistent participation in football, Steffan lost weight he had gained during his addiction and social isolation and gained improved sense of purpose and self-esteem. He left rehab and found a job, but later re-entered rehab after a relapse. That second stint proved fortuitous, for it was during that stay that he had the opportunity to trial for the Homeless World Cup team.
The national tournament from which the 2024 Homeless World Cup players were picked took place in Hamburg, approximately 100 kilometres away from Steffan’s home in Bremen in Germany’s north. ‘We were lucky to participate, and I was the lucky one for my rehab,’ he explains. ‘If it was the tournament upcoming [in a different location], my rehab organisation wouldn’t have gone there.’
|‘After my injury, I wasn’t happy for a long time. Always when I play football, I’m happier’, said German player, Steffan. Image: Anita Milas
Like many of the Homeless World Cup teams, the German team players were selected from different programs all over their region and met just a few days before the tournament. The entire German program is volunteer-run, so funding and opportunities to bring players together earlier can be challenging. (German air carrier Lufthansa, for example, kindly provided the team’s flights to and from Seoul.)
‘We have tournaments in the south and north five to six times in the year, the German championship and the Homeless World Cup,’ Johan explains. ‘So this is our system. We do this voluntarily. So it’s always a lack of resources and time.’
Like many others, the team had one training session together before embarking on travel and the tournament. ‘Of course, it’s better to have more know each other, to train a little bit. But it’s impossible,’ Johan explains.
Logistically, it would be hard to have more training sessions even if it were possible. Steffan works at a supermarket. He worked six days a week to juggle work and training to prepare for the tournament—the only days off were Sundays—and he had to take leave from work to attend the tournament itself. ‘I took three weeks’ vacation [to participate in the Homeless World Cup],’ he says. ‘It’s worth it, though.’
During the tournament itself, Steffan shared the live stream links to games with his family and friends, and they tuned in, timezone-permitting. ‘I posted FIFA+, the livestreams,’ Steffan explains. ‘But the time in Germany is quite early, so many people are sleeping or working or preparing to go to work. My parents, who are retired, my father, is watching some games.’
Steffan used equivalent video footage to research and prepare for the tournament itself. ‘I did some research of [2023 Homeless World Cup tournament] Sacramento to watch some finals, what the competition might be like, and what I have to be prepared for for football. I also did some research about South Korea and Seoul. But you can’t do enough research to be that blown away by this city or by this tournament, to participate in such a wonderful tournament.’
Steffan’s post-tournament goals are clear. ‘My biggest goal is to find a team again,’ he says of his return to Germany. ‘Because I think it’s important to have a team. It’s important for work to have a good team to function, and it’s also important for the free time to have friends around yourself, do some exercise as well. So that’s my goal for after this tournament, to stay in shape and find a team to play regularly.’
He sums it up simply: ‘After my injury, I wasn’t happy for a long time. Always when I play football, I’m happier.’
Words: Fiona Crawford
Images: Anita Milas
Germany is represented at the Homeless World Cup by Anstoß! e.V find out more about their programme.