A fifth-division club is parting ways with five key players in the midst of a relegation battle. The reason for this is the so-called “Baller League”.

That doesn’t happen every day. In the middle of the season, Mittelrheinliga club F.V. Bonn-Endenich 1908 e.V. has parted ways with five players. “Blatantly important players, the basic framework that shot the team into the Mittelrheinliga in the first place”, as sports director Markus Köppe announced. So why did they have to leave – and in the middle of the relegation battle?

All five, Leo Dos Santos, Tom Wüstenberg, Benne Palm, Florian Schöller and captain Abdenbi Oubelkhiri, also play in the so-called “Baller League” – a German indoor football league with innovative rules that was founded by Lukas Podolski and Mats Hummels in collaboration with other soccer and social media personalities.

In an emotional, almost 24-minute video on Facebook, Köppe explained why this could not be reconciled with his F.V. Bonn-Endenich 1908 e.V. and why the club was forced to pull the ripcord. The Baller League had “spread like a virus. “

The Baller League has spread through our dressing room like a virus

Markus Köppe

The club found out by chance that Dos Santos, Wüstenberg and Oubelkhiri had registered for the Baller League and were assigned to teams in the so-called “draft”. After lengthy discussions, the club initially allowed the players to play. After all, it was their free time. However, those responsible at the Mittelrheinliga club were not aware that the players had to sign a contract.

“The first game was still okay for us,” said Köppe. “Once a week, twice 15 minutes of street soccer.” On the second match day, however, three more players from F.V. Endenich turned up at the Baller League. And: “Suddenly things got really tough. With players up to regional league level, former Bundesliga players who wanted to show off their skills,” emphasizes Köppe.

All of this had an impact on the level of toughness and the atmosphere in the team. As a result, the sports director withdrew his approval.

“The Baller League has spread through our dressing room like a virus. The focus shifted from the relegation battle to the Baller League, some didn’t even know who they were playing against in the Mittelrheinliga at the weekend.” They also no longer wanted to run the risk of injury to six key players.

Köppe gave the players the choice: Baller League or FV Endenich. Jakub Merlan-Jarecki opted for the FV – Dos Santos, Wüstenberg, Palm, Schöller, Oubelkhiri for the Baller League

My mood has plummeted from one moment to the next because we’re talking about players we’ve worked our asses off for

Markus Köppe

Köppe explained in the video how important the five former protégés were to him, but also emphasized how much he had done for them. On and off the pitch. “I appealed to the players’ honor and asked them to tone down their selfishness.”

To no avail. “Some of them enjoy it, others point to their contract or see themselves in the Bundesliga or Champions League. My mood plummeted from one moment to the next, because we’re talking about players we’ve worked our asses off for.”

Köppe made it clear that his statement was not an “anti-campaign” against these players, but merely a “clarification”, before taking another shot in the direction of Baller League.

Köppe shoots against Baller League

The sports director had made it clear to the managing director of the construct what he thought of it. “I think the Mittelrhein Football Association has a similar view. When people stay away from club life for such a funfair league in the hall.”

Co-founder Podolski also disappointed him. “He sits at the microphone and says it’s a huge stage. But then please also say that these are players who are true to their word with their club and see a higher value in the Baller League.”

The development that “a recreational league is preferred to a soccer club” certainly scares Köppe. “That can’t be good. I hope that a solution will be found. I can only recommend to the Baller League that they get to grips with the clubs. We are not the only club to react with displeasure.”

So far, nobody has dared to say it