Former Nottingham Forest keeper Lutz Pfannenstiel has made football his life and has achieved a great deal, despite not having played at the highest level of the game. He entered the Guinness Book of Records earlier this year for becoming the first player ever to play football on all 6 of the FIFA footballing continents.
He’s just finished his latest contract with Brazilian outfit Atlético Hermann Aichinger, also known as Atlético Ibirama. They ply their trade in the Campeonato Acreano and finished the season in a respectable 5th place. So far at the ripe old age of 35, he’s played for 25 clubs, in 16 countries and on 6 continents. Although his stint in Brazil has come to an end and he’s currently back home in Germany, you won’t be surprised to hear that he’s on the lookout for club number 26.
His achievements to date will pail into insignificance with news of his latest project, when he plans a series of environmental games in an effort to raise awareness of the effects of Global Warming on the planet. Lutz told Vital Forest. “Our idea is to play football all around the world at exposed places that suffer from global warming.”
Lutz plans to play the first ever football match on the continent of Antarctica. The date for the game is set for December, when it’s classed as summer. Summer meaning the temperature rises all the way up to 3°C! He hopes to arrange to play two teams featuring Hollywood celeb types and former players, with over 90 people saying they are willing to take part so far. Lutz plans further games around the planet, wherever there are environmental concerns. Other games are planned for the Rainforests’ of Brazil, the Himalayas and even in Bangladesh to name only a few.
This isn’t something he’s just thrown together. He has a well thought out plan of action with sponsorship in place. He will have a TV crew filming the games and the plans are to show them globally. He will also be making a documentary of each match, showing the environmental effects in the region they are playing in. Accompanying Lutz on each of the trips will be a team of scientists, TV/Film crew, as well as local guides and specialists.
The venue for the game on Antarctica is on King George Island, which is a research station and classed as Chilean territory. This will see Lutz fulfil his ambition of playing on all 7 continents. The timescale for all these events is from 2008-2011. Lutz added. “The highlight is the “Soccer Match` that will be broadcast worldwide. We will do a documentary filming to let the world see what it takes to prepare a team for an event in Antarctica. Additionally, the film would include a behind the scenes look on the event with the ‘crew`. Live footage of the event will be broadcast worldwide and include segments that are targeted to increase the awareness of Global warming.” Lutz is aware of the current goalkeeping shortage at the City Ground and is making the club aware of his availability.
You can see other Vital Forest interviews with the one and only Lutz Pfannenstiel, by clicking HERE.
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