12 teams celebrate start of Walking Football League season

12 teams from three different countries came together for the first matchday of the new Walking Football League season in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The Belgian, Dutch and German teams competed in FC Schalke 04’s first stadium Glückauf-Kampfbahn. Bayer 04 Leverkusen is now the leader of the league table.

The goal of the Walking Football League that was established in 2018 is to spread the passion for the sport beyond borders. The closing ceremony of the tournament showed that the slow version of the beautiful game is exciting and brings a lot of joy to players and coaches. The main organiser Boris Liebing and the other staff from our member FC Schalke 04 got a lot of applause for their work during and before the two days event in Gelsenkirchen. Bayer 04 Leverkusen was probably the happiest team as it takes 12 points to the tournament in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, next year.

The 12 teams were drawn into 2 groups of 6. After the first group stage, the best two teams of each group progressed to group C. The other teams continued playing in groups D and E. Host FC Schalke 04 won all of their games in the first group stage but could not win another match in the second. The team of former national player and UEFA-Cup winner Martin Max ended up as 4th. 1.FC Nürnberg won the penalty shoot-out against Twente Enschede and is after their first appearance currently second.

More important than winning matches is the social aspect of Walking Football. The fast-growing sport is a good opportunity especially for elderly people that previously have been forced to stop playing due to age or injury. The elderly find camaraderie and can build up new networks. Host FC Schalke 04 created a great group atmosphere by organising a comprehensive programme the night before the matchday. All players and coaches were invited to Veltins Arena and could participate in a lottery and in some fun games. The former German national players Steffi Jones and Klaus Fischer conducted the official draw. Afterwards, everyone watched a music performance and the game of the German national team against Argentina. All clubs are looking forward to a similar event in Nijmegen next year.