At the Snow World Cup in Arosa, the old stars put on a spectacle on the pitch (today Friday: 20:00 on blue Zoom), but Helmer, Basler, Sneijder & Co. only hit gala form at the gala. These are the highlights.
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- The Swiss national team become snow world champions in Arosa. Mario Basler and Wesley Sneijder are annoyed by the refereeing.
- The gala after the Snow World Cup in Arosa is a firework display. Ex-stars such as Alex Frei, Mario Basler, Thomas Helmer and Wesley Sneijder are in gala form. Verbal straddling and body-snatching by the meter.
- Don't miss it: You can watch the spectacular Snow World Cup in Arosa on blue Zoom today, Friday at 20:00.
Frei puts Helmer on the spot with "only fans" slogan
Top scorer Alex Frei makes his comeback in the national team kit at the Snow World Cup. He was forced off injured in the final against Germany after a duel with Marko Rehmer, but still managed to finish third on the scorers' list with six goals. On the stage in the evening, every shot was on target.
"Marko was already a nasty dog before," says Frei, adding: "I'm sure the pain will ease as the evening progresses." When asked what he's doing now that he has so much time, he says coolly: "Only fans..." - The audience roars with laughter, even the rhetorically excellent Thomas Helmer, who leads the evening, falters briefly. Frei: "I just wanted to see if you were all still awake."
"I can't ski, only après-ski.
It continues with a lot of humor. The eccentric ex-Bayern star Mario Basler, who acts as Helmer's co-host, is responsible for the tougher tackles. He recommends Frei twelve vodka lemons for a speedy recovery, "then you won't feel it any more", says Basler. When asked if he was going skiing the next day, the bon vivant says: "I can't ski, only après-ski."
Basler's cure for everything: vodka lemon
Basler can also be less subtle. After Germany's defeat to Switzerland in the final, he took a swipe at the referees. He feels disadvantaged and calls for top international referees like Pierluigi Collina for the next tournament. One bloody straddle after another. At the referees' table, Luigi Ponte and his colleagues are getting more and more annoyed. Finally, Basler and Helmer ask the referees to come on stage. Basler's peace offering at the end? "Switzerland deserved to win, thanks to you. Let's drink a vodka lemon afterwards!" Vodka lemon, it seems, is Basler's cure for everything.
Referee spat: Wesley Sneijder even wanted to leave
The referees don't just get their comeuppance from Basler. Former world-class Brazilian defender Lucio, who had flown over from Brazil especially for the tournament, was also in the same boat. And former Dutch superstar Wesley Sneijder - still with a sensational feel for the ball, but now with a little belly - is also really angry at times. So angry, in fact, that he didn't want to play at all at short notice and wanted to leave. "Everyone knew why. We knew before kick-off that Switzerland would win," he says at the gala, smiling.
Benaglio provokes back against Basler
Diego Benaglio takes it with humor. "You know what I think is great? We all come here to have fun and at the end of the day, every single one of us is just as ambitious as we used to be." He seizes the opportunity and returns the favor to Basler for one of his "Bild" columns a few years ago.
"Now you're praising me, but back then you wrote: 'Diego Benaglio still keeps his mouth shut at most. Helmer demands an apology from Basler. His response: "I'm not going to apologize for that now. You know me: I have a big mouth."
Polster narrowly avoids death
Austrian legend Toni Polster was also flown in specially. The 60-year-old recently suffered a ruptured bowel. He explains: "It was just a bit strange in my stomach and at first you think it'll be fine by tomorrow. But if I hadn't been treated that night, I would have died. Today I'm fine again." The former star striker ends the refereeing discussion like this: "Despite all the humor, Switzerland was the best team to win in the end."
Dzemaili wins a week in Arosa
The best team also has the best player. Blerim Dzemaili is named MvP. And he is also top scorer. The prize is a week in Arosa including a ski pass. Dzemaili is looking forward to skiing.
Hoarau sings in "Berndütsch"
Guillaume Hoarau provides a calmer note at the end. The former YB top scorer sings. First reggae, then even in Bernese German. "I don't speak German, only Bernese German," he jokes. And when asked by Helmer where he learned to sing, Hoarau says: "In the shower like you!" His song "Scharlachrot" by Patent Ochsner is a nice ending.
