One of the Bundesliga's more amusing recent stories has acquired a rather fitting sequel. After failing to identify Union Berlin head coach Mauro Lustrinelli on Germany's popular quiz show Wer wird Millionär? ( Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ), unfortunate contestant Noah Petrik has the Köpenick club up on their invitation. And Union have ensured that the 26-year-old will never forget the name he mistakenly selected.
Petrik was invited to Sunday's Bundesliga home fixture against 1. FC Cologne and presented with a personalised Union Berlin shirt bearing the name "Spassikowski". This was one of four possible answers to a €2,000 quiz-show question asking Petrik, an Augsburg native, to identify Union's current head coach.
And, unfortunately for the contestant, it was the wrong one.
Petrik encountered the question during an appearance on the RTLprogramme hosted by Günther Jauch. The four possible answers were Igor Spassikowski, Mauro Lustrinelli, Erling Gaudigaard, and Jimmy Sexyhexi. Unable to identify the correct name, Petrik utilized his "phone-a-friend" option. Petrik's friend, despite professing to be a football fan, admitted that his knowledge might be a little outdated.
The friend nevertheless confidently suggested Igor Spassikowski. Petrik trusted him. The result was a €1,500 mistake, with the contestant leaving the programme with just €500. Union's social-media department wasted little time joining the fun, posting the question alongside a photograph of the real Lustrinelli and suggesting that the correct answer was actually D: Jimmy Sexyhexi.
The Swiss trainer also enjoyed the incident and extended an invitation to Petrik to attend a match.
"I think it's funny, including the suggested names," Lustrinelli explained at the time in comments reported by Sport Bild. "There are some nice ideas among them. That's why I'd like to warmly invite the contestant to watch one of our matches and get to know us a little better."
The club duly followed through on that invitation ahead of Sunday's encounter with Cologne at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. Petrik received a Union shirt emblazoned with the name that had cost him his chance to continue playing for a substantial cash prize. One imagines the jersey will serve as a particularly effective reminder should he ever encounter another Bundesliga coaching question.
Still, for Petrik, the visit provided a rather enjoyable consolation prize. He may not have left Günther Jauch's television studio with €2,000, but he now owns what must surely be one of the most unusual personalised Bundesliga shirts in circulation.
And if anyone asks him who coaches Union Berlin these days, at least he has a pretty good conversation starter.
