One-legged after accident

Strong! Leg amputee makes his debut in regular soccer

Pierre Kaiser(Bild: Philipp Schmatloch/BFV)

What a historic soccer appearance in our neighboring state: for the first time ever in Bavaria, a player with an amputated leg - Pierre Kaiser - played in a regular match on Sunday!

The 35-year-old, who lost his right leg in an accident in 2007 and has been dependent on crutches ever since, took to the pitch in a compulsory A-Class match between SG Dormitz Brand II and TSV Behringersdorf II ...

Kaiser's participation was made possible by the willingness of the Bavarian Football Association and its Central Franconian chairman Uwe Mauckner to grant him permission to play.

"Playing the ball with the crutch is counted as a handball - otherwise everything remains largely the same ..."

Bayerischer Fußball-Verband

"Football is for everyone. That's not just a hollow phrase for us!"
"Football is for everyone. That's not just a hollow phrase for us, it's the credo we live by in the association. For us, there was no question at all that we would comply with Pierre Kaiser's request and issue a match authorization quickly and unbureaucratically."

There were no serious questions, "playing the ball with the crutch is counted as a handball - everything else remains largely the same," said the association official.

And so it was that Kaiser was substituted for SG Dormitz Brand II in the closing stages of the game on Sunday and was ultimately able to celebrate a 2:1 victory with his teammates.

Had nothing to do with soccer before the accident
Curiously enough, the 35-year-old had had nothing to do with soccer before his accident - he only got into it during his rehabilitation afterwards.

"... that life is worth living even with an amputated leg!"

Pierre Kaiser

"I quickly realized that things like riding a bike also work with one leg. That gave me courage and showed me that life is worth living even with an amputated leg," says Kaiser.

In the end, he even made it into the amputee soccer team Anpfiff Hoffenheim and Germany's national amputee team. And now he has also made it into regular soccer ...