Special Moments
It is spring in Wolfsburg. The first crocuses are poking their heads out of the ground on either side of the footpath to the Volkswagen Arena. It is April 4, 2009. The day that will change everything for VfL Wolfsburg.
In the catacombs of the stadium sits a young man whose name, in a few hours, everyone will know. Edinaldo Batista Libânio — known to the football world as Grafite. The Brazilian striker is calm, focused, almost meditative. He has a feeling today will be special.
Born in the hinterland of the megacity São Paulo, Edinaldo made his living selling bin bags. With the money he earned, the boy could afford a ball. Football was the escape route from the favela — a path that would lead him, via France, to the flatlands of Lower Saxony.
Edinaldo "Grafite" Libânio smiles as he, surrounded by his teammates, walks onto the home turf. He senses it: 30,000 expectant faces, the smell of freshly cut grass, the hum of a Bundesliga Saturday. His opposite number today: FC Bayern München.
While in 2007 he is still playing for French promoted side Le Mans UC, 1,000 kilometres away in Wolfsburg something is brewing. The Wolves are about to enter the most extraordinary chapter in their history.
Coach Felix Magath leaves Bayern. On June 15, 2007, barely two months before the start of the 2007/08 season, "Quaelix" is announced as VfL Wolfsburg's new head coach, manager and managing director. The appointment sends shockwaves through the Bundesliga.
It is Saturday, April 4, 2009, 4:47 pm, when the Brazilian Grafite receives the ball. What follows is pure football art. A backheel flick, a turn, a devastating finish past Oliver Kahn's successor — the goal of the season, the goal that encapsulates an entire championship campaign.
It is the goal to make it 5-1. The goal for the final score. The goal that crystallises Wolfsburg's outstanding season. The Wolves will become German champions — the most improbable title in Bundesliga history.
Sometimes it is the small things that make a moment truly special. A turn at the right instant, a backheel at the perfect angle, a finish of such audacity that even the opposition can only applaud. Grafite's goal against Bayern was all of that — and more.
9. Autor: Sophie Hargesheimer↩