Union Berlin’s Mauro Lustrinelli heads to hometown of quiz show contestant who couldn’t name him

2

Union Berlin head coach Mauro Lustrinelli has found himself at the centre of an amusing German television mishap. The 50-year-old Swiss trainer became the subject of a question on RTL’s popular quiz show Wer wird Millionär? (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?), with a contestant from Augsburg failing to identify the Bundesliga coach and leaving with just €500.

The incident occurred during Monday evening’s programme, hosted by veteran German television personality Günther Jauch. Contestant Noah Petrik, a 26-year-old Deutsche Bahn employee from Augsburg, encountered the following €2,000 question:

“Who became Union Berlin’s head football coach in July?”

The four possible answers were Igor Spassikowski, Mauro Lustrinelli, Erling Gaudigaard, and Jimmy Sexyhexi.

Augsburg contestant stumped by Union Berlin quiz question

Petrik admitted that none of the names sounded familiar. Unable to identify Union’s coach, he turned to his “phone a friend”. Unfortunately, the supposed lifeline proved anything but helpful. Despite professing to be a football fan, the friend acknowledged that his knowledge was somewhat outdated before suggesting Igor Spassikowski.

The incorrect answer promptly ended his run, leaving him with €500.

Union Berlin and Lustrinelli take the incident in stride

Union Berlin’s social-media department wasted little time joining in the fun. The Bundesliga club posted a screenshot of the question alongside a photograph of Lustrinelli, providing its own preferred answer: “Answer: D.” That would, of course, have made Union’s manager the fictitious Jimmy Sexyhexi.

The actual Union coach was thoroughly entertained by the incident.

Speaking to Sport Bild on Tuesday, Lustrinelli revealed that numerous acquaintances had forwarded him footage of the programme.

“Lots of people sent it to me yesterday evening, and everyone’s talking about it today,” Lustrinelli said. “I think it’s funny, including the suggested names. 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.”

Lustrinelli prepares for visit to contestant’s hometown

The amusing coincidence is that Lustrinelli’s next Bundesliga assignment takes him directly to Petrik’s hometown. Union Berlin face FC Augsburg on Saturday afternoon, with both sides looking to build momentum after difficult spells.

Lustrinelli’s introduction to German football has been particularly challenging. The Swiss coach, who arrived after guiding FC Thun to a remarkable Swiss championship, presided over a historically poor opening to Union’s Bundesliga campaign.

The 50-year-old nevertheless insisted that his rebuilding project required patience, famously comparing the team’s development to (among other things) a young child learning to ride a bicycle and a construction worker laying the foundation for a house.

Following a humiliating 7-0 defeat against Bayern Munich, Union finally secured their first league victory against SV Elversberg before holding Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw. Those results have provided some encouragement ahead of Saturday’s trip to Augsburg, where the hosts themselves have gone four Bundesliga matches without victory.

For Lustrinelli, the immediate priority remains improving Union’s league position. His unexpected appearance on German television has at least ensured that a few more football followers are familiar with his name. And should Petrik accept the coach’s invitation, he will have an opportunity to meet the man he mistook for Igor Spassikowski.

GGFN | Peter Weis