Drive like the stars

A place of longing for the team bus

One person’s place of work is another’s place of longing. The team bus of your favourite team is out of reach for fans. For most, at least – because eight of them are just climbing the stairs to greet Marcus. Once around the corner, and their gaze falls inside, their eyes grow wide. Man, how great is it to be in here now?

Alex – 18 years old and a Mönchengladbach fan since he could walk – is thrilled. “This is really an indescribable feeling to think about: I’m sitting in the seat where Lars Stindl usually sits. Normally a star like that sits here. Madness!” A few rows further back, Jürgen drops into one of the 30 exclusive passenger seats. Adjustable footrests and backrests ensure comfort on the journey to and from the airport. 24 of them also have electrically adjustable tables and leg rests. “It’s like being in business class on a plane,” Jürgen enthuses. “If I fell into this seat broken after a match, I would fall asleep after ten minutes. It’s totally relaxing when you can put your feet up!" The black leather seats look really classy. They are ergonomically shaped, set off in white, and in the generous footwell they are complemented by adjustable leg rests, which are big enough that you can also comfortably sit on them. Jürgen stretches out with pleasure.

“If I could have my car personalised like that, I would definitely do it,” remarks his new seat neighbour Markus, the first chairman of the Jenhahner Sternejäger fan club. “With the Mönchengladbach diamond on the seats and the green lights up there on the luggage shelves, it just looks great.” The fans take a close look at everything, especially the kitchen with its fully automatic coffee machine, stainless steel sink and refrigerator. They then try to make themselves a coffee at the coffee machine in the kitchenette, but unfortunately, it is switched off at the moment. No matter, the bus rolls off. Erik and Alex, two students, fantasise about how good it would be to travel in here. If only they had the bus for a weekend with their mates! Destination: the Dutch seaside. That’s it!

Good for the back

A fan asks what the bus means for the players. Tobias Sippel thinks a comfortable bus is extremely important: “It takes us to the games and brings back home safely. You need a good comfort zone so that you arrive well rested.” Chris Kramer agrees: “For me, it’s very important that you don’t get back pain on the bus. That’s what is really good about our current bus, as you have a good about of space to lie down. In the past, when we were youth players, we always travelled in an old VW Bulli camper van – but then our backs were a bit more mobile. It worked then, too.” Everyone laughs.

At the end, players and fans leave the bus together. They line up once more for a group photo. In the background: the black and white Lion’s Coach. Bus driver Marcus already has the vacuum cleaner in his hand. It is important to him that his workplace always looks top-notch. “There is a lot of attention everywhere when we arrive with the bus. Not only for us, of course, but also for the other Bundesliga teams.” Mönchengladbach’s Lion’s Coach is more than just a bus: for fans, players and bus drivers, it is a place of longing, a place of retreat and the most beautiful workplace in the world.