“We still have some catching up to do”

For long-time Bundesliga professionals Lars and Sven Bender (32), returning to the local district class is a matter of the heart and an unusual challenge at the same time. “It’s a lot of fun. We also want to give something back to the region,” said Sven Bender in the ran Bundesliga web show about the involvement with TSV Brannenburg.

The return to the football roots also brings with it special rituals. “There is always a Tragerl of beer there. If you have a half a pint after the game, you will not be viewed negatively, then you will be offered the second,” reported Lars Bender. “We still have a lot of catching up to do. So the guys can still teach us something.”

The Bender twins ended their professional career at Bayer Leverkusen last season. “We asked ourselves whether we can still call our performance every day. For us it would have felt as if we were cheating ourselves a bit,” explained Lars Bender.