In the summer of 1982, the youth team of 1. SC Norderstedt traveled to friendly matches in China – as the first German club team. However, the kickers in the Middle Kingdom were kept for the junior national team. A misconception with consequences.
The first reaction on the other end of the phone line: astonishment. Olaf Bösselmann, team supervisor at Eintracht Norderstedt, apparently weighs the request again briefly. “Our trip to China? But that was 40 years ago. Well, can I even remember it?” he then says. He can. That shows up quickly.
It seems as if the word “China” immediately triggered something in him, as if he had long been standing on the pitch in his thoughts – with the ball at his feet at the center. Ready to kick off a journey back in time to the summer of 1982.
22-person tour group from Norderstedt
Understandable, because for the 57-year-old it is the tour of his life. At that time, the wholesale and foreign trade merchant belonged to the circle of 16 A-youths of the predecessor club 1. SC Norderstedt, who embarked on the journey to the Middle Kingdom in the care of six officials – as the first German club team. What they had no idea on their flight to Beijing: In China, the Norderstedt team was mistaken for the junior national team of the German Football Association (DFB).
Bösselmann admits that the club’s first youth team in Hamburg’s top division was “not a miracle team”. He himself kicked in the second A youth, but was also allowed to play.
HFV and DFB support the project
It all came about thanks to the perseverance of Werner Annecker, who has since passed away. “He always said that it was his dream to fly to China with a youth team from the SCN. We told him to stop fooling around like that,” said Bosselmann. Annecker, however, did not give up. He brought the Hamburg Football Association (HFV) on board, the DFB gave the approval, and contact was established through the Foreign Office – the dream came true. Above all, the involvement of the DFB is likely to have led to the Norderstedt team being regarded as a German selection in China.
SCN boys play in front of 45,000 spectators
The consequence: receptions with a lot of fuss for the SCN juniors, trips to the Great Wall of China and ancient palaces. And best of all: five games in front of a large crowd, including one in the national stadium in front of 45,000 spectators. According to Bosselmann, three games were even broadcast live on Chinese television.
The first game in Beijing took place in front of 45,000 spectators.
Even after the arrival of the Schleswig-Holsteiners, the hosts were not to be dissuaded from their conviction that it had to be the German youth national team. Consequently, the Chinese Football Association offered its top selection for the first game in Beijing.
0: 8 smack against Chinese top selection
A camera team from NDR, which accompanied the Norderstedt A youth on their trip, also filmed the team speech by delegation leader Friedel Gütt in the team bus. “It’s important that we represent German football here. You got into the situation to do that. It wasn’t our fault. We couldn’t have guessed that they just didn’t want to believe us that this was a club team is coming,” said Gütt, then Vice-President of the HFV.
“It was awesome, just awesome.”
— Olaf Bösselmann, team supervisor Eintracht Norderstedt
The two-week journey, which began at the end of July 1982, was – not least because of this misunderstanding – an unforgettable experience. Even the 0:8 in the first game against the Chinese national selection could not cloud the overall impression of the SCN juniors. “Nobody knew us, but we were advertised as the German junior national team. We were even allowed to ride the special train,” said Bosselmann.
In the second game, the defender scored the North Germans’ goal in the 3-1 defeat. “In front of over 20,000 crazy Chinese fans who cheered you for it – amazing!”
Concerns about the reputation of German football
In Germany, however, there was criticism of the trip and its outcome. The reputation of German football has suffered a serious setback in the People’s Republic of China, the NDR film from 1982 said: “The accusation of being responsible does not only go to the DFB. Those responsible at 1. SC Norderstedt also have better inform themselves to spare their boys this defeat.”
The Norderstedter A youth had no chance against the Chinese selection.
40 years later, Bösselmann has a completely different opinion: “Not one of our players saw it that way. We young people were happy to be able to experience something like that. Nobody can take this experience away from me – it was simply amazing!”
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Schleswig-Holstein Magazine | 05.08.2022 | 19:30 o’clock
