82 years old and still not a bit quiet: blue Sport attends Karli Odermatt's birthday party in Basel. With green rooftop caps, bow ties and music. The ex-football star says: "If you order water, you pay for a round."
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- Basel football legend Karli Odermatt celebrated his 82nd birthday on Thursday together with around 30 friends. Appropriately enough, with a noisy and lively "gentlemen's stroll" through Basel.
- Karli handed out rooftop caps and bow ties. Wearing them is compulsory and alcohol is prohibited. "We're a team", shouts Karli, "and I'm the captain".
The meeting point on Tuesday, December 17, is at 11 a.m. in the "braunen Mutz" near Barfüsser-Platz in Basel. Karli hands out bright green rooftop caps and bow ties to his 30 or so guests. They must be worn from kick-off to kick-off. "We're a team," shouts Karli, "and I'm the captain."
He celebrates his 82nd birthday the way he played football in the 60s and 70s. He sets the pace, rhythm and intensity and goes full steam ahead.
"From now on, no more water can be ordered"
Once a captain, always a captain. Probably. Although he is also a referee on this party Wednesday. Instead of a whistle, the football legend is equipped with a horn. Whenever he has something to say or simply wants to say something, which happens quite often, he blows his horn. The most important rule is given right at the beginning. "From now on, no water or sweet drinks may be ordered. Anyone who doesn't comply will have to buy a round. And that doesn't come cheap," says Karli and laughs out loud.
It's loud anyway, and funny too. The Basel comedian Marcel Dogor (known throughout Switzerland for his role as Mrs. Roggenmoser) has another performance for his long-time buddy.
Karli's team moves through the city, from restaurant to restaurant. His song "Karli none Goal" is sung everywhere, always accompanied by a hand organ. Of course, the jubilarian always sings along loudly.
"Köbi Kuhn once said: it's impossible in Zurich"
It's his celebration, his home game. People stop and congratulate him. Karli is happy. "It's so beautiful," he says to blue Sport, "something like this is probably only possible in Basel. Köbi Kuhn once told me that a party like this wouldn't be possible in Zurich."
Zurich native Köbi Kuhn, Odermatt's great opponent on the pitch and good friend off it, passed away in November 2019 at the age of 76. "That was another five years ago," says Karli, "time is running out."
As far as Odermatt and his regular players at his annual birthday party are concerned, time seems to stand still. Here's to many more legendary "gentlemen's strolls", as the football legend himself calls his celebrations.
