The esports organisation Eintracht Spandau, run by Instinct3 and JvM Nerd, has found a new home in small-field football. The team led by president Knabe, which was previously in the Baller league, is making a permanent move to the Icon League.
In football, players change clubs; in small-field football, clubs change leagues. As Icon League and Eintracht Spandau have now announced, the esports organisation from the Spandau district of the German capital is permanently moving to the league founded by Toni Kroos and Elias Nerlich. Until now, Eintracht Spandau was part of the Baller League, which has ceased operations in Germany.
Eintracht Spandau is considered the team with the widest reach in small-field football in Germany. Originally founded as a pure esports organisation, Eintracht Spandau only entered real football when the Baller League was launched.
Eintracht Spandau is a joint venture between Instinct3 and Jung von Matt Nerd. Instinct3 is the group of companies co-founded by creator Maximilian Knabe, which has long been involved in many more projects than just marketing Maximilian Knabe, who is best known as HandOfBlood.
Knabe is also personally involved in Eintracht Spandau and embodies the club president ‘President Knabe’ as a fictional character. President Knabe also appears in the marketing of the drinks Knabe Malz and Knabe Kola.
“With Eintracht Spandau, we are welcoming the team with the widest reach in the German small-field football leagues. Our colleagues at Eintracht Spandau bring with them an excellent sense of cross-media, exciting storytelling and an active, passionate fan base. This makes them an important building block for our further growth. We are confident that together we will be able to tell emotional stories about sport and entertainment, and we warmly welcome them to our league," said Marc Goroll, Managing Director The Icon League.
And Hendrik Ruhe, Managing Director of Eintracht Spandau, adds: “"If you want to build a genuine fan culture in sport in Germany, you don't do it for quick money, but with staying power. Responsibly and honestly. No one wants to become a fan of something or someone if there is no trust. We have promised our fans that our commitment to football is sustainable. And even if a league fails, we still feel committed to it. From our discussions with The Icon League, we are convinced that they share this sense of responsibility. That's why I can say: anyone who thinks that small-field football in Germany is a thing of the past is mistaken. Because as soon as our fans are heard for the first time in The Icon League, everyone will realise: we are only just getting started."
