After a legal dispute with consultants
Ailton buys top scorer back after 19 years
12/28/2025 – 3:32 p.mReading time: 1 min.
In 2004 Ailton became top scorer in the Bundesliga. He received a trophy for this. But an advisor then took the trophy. Now the ex-scorer has it back.
Former Brazilian striker Ailton has regained his top scorer from 2004. In a video on his Instagram profile, he presented the trophy, which had changed hands several times over the years. Now it’s back in Ailton’s hands after a legal bid.
According to “Bild”, the top scorer award that the 52-year-old received as the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga in the 2003/2004 season was taken away from him in 2006 by his then agent Werner Helleckes. Helleckes claimed that Ailton owed him money and tried several times to auction the trophy on eBay. The highest bid reached 600,000 euros, but Ailton stopped the auctions.
Over the years, the cannon moved to another advisor, which led to legal disputes. In court, Ailton finally received an offer to get the trophy back in exchange for a payment.
“I took advantage of this opportunity. There’s only one trophy like this,” he told the tabloid. Ailton remained silent about the amount paid and emphasized: “I’m very happy that she’s back with me after 19 years. She means everything to me and I won’t give her up anymore.”