“The love for Pisa has changed my life” – Chronicle
by Michele Bufalino Galeotta was Venice: a torpedo and thousands of flags, which set off a spark that has never been spent again. Michael Reiner (pictured in the editorial office), 47, originally from Karlsruhe and a fan of the German team of the same name, fell in love with the Nerazzurri colors in 2007 and has remained faithful to the team’s events ever since. “I was in Venice and I learned of this Serie C Playoff match that Pisa had to play – says Rainer -. I knew that it was twinned with that team in my city. I remember well the bus, the choirs and the flags that remained in my mouth …
by Michele Bufalino
Galeotta was Venice: a torpedo and thousands of flags, which set off a spark that has never been spent again. Michael Reiner (pictured in the editorial office), 47, originally from Karlsruhe and a fan of the German team of the same name, fell in love with the Nerazzurri colors in 2007 and has remained faithful to the team’s events ever since. “I was in Venice and I learned of this Serie C Playoff match that Pisa had to play – says Rainer -. I knew that it was twinned with that team in my city. I remember well the bus, the choirs and the flags that remained open-mouthed to me. So love struck and a week later I found myself in Pisa for the return match, at the invitation of some fans “.
Over the course of these 14 years, Reiner has developed friendships and relationships. “In Pisa the people are very friendly – admits Reiner -, it can be said that I have found many friends with whom I share my passion for Pisa. When I come to the Arena I like to go to the steps because I can follow the game. I was also a season ticket holder for 4-5 seasons “. Reiner is the father of little Emilia and husband of Andrea, with whom he married in 2002 in Venice. Often in the summer they come with him to Tuscany.
His passion for the Nerazzurri also helped him change his job and become an entrepreneur: “For 15 years I worked for a telephone company and I had the desire to come and see Pisa in Italy. But it was an expensive passion, I had an intuition which derives from my passion for Italian products – continues Reiner -. Once I loaded demijohns of oil into the car from Buti and the neighboring areas of Pisa to take them to my friends in Germany. From that moment on they asked me to bring them regularly and I started selling the products bought in bulk in Italy. The business, born almost for fun, has expanded and for 2-3 years I have been coming to Pisa a week a month to export local products abroad, so much so that I have created an online store with a brand called “Monte Pisano, Schatze der Toskana” (treasure of Tuscany).
Michael Reiner is also a successful songwriter. His football hit “Auswarts sind wir asocial” in Germany, where he is known as ‘Killer Michael’, has come to be heard by over 16 million Germans. The fan, who has now become an institution among the Arena audience, experienced firsthand the dark years of Pisa and its resurrection. “I saw the failure of 2009, the Petroni presidency and now the Corrados and Alexander Knasters. We can’t say that Pisa is easy to get bored”. Your Nerazzurri idols? “Robert Gucher is my favorite player – admits Reiner – but this year I was also impressed by Nicolas and Leverbe”. In the past, Reiner has also become the protagonist of gestures of altruism towards the Pisan community, donating 100 pizzas to the ‘Homeless’ project, with the Pisa Fans Club in Karslruhe, distributing them to the homeless in collaboration with the Pizzeria Dabbe. Also Reiner with the fans of Karsruhe donated 3000 euros for the little Christian to the project “Together for Dreaming” in 2019, helping him to support medical expenses.
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