Bayer Leverkusen's devoted fan icon - "Paffi" calls it quits following a 36-year career.
In Leverkusen, this man is well-known by his nicknames.
Andreas "Paffi" Paffrath (56) is a fan legend at the club. A true original. A pioneer in German fan activities.
At the age of four, his father Wilfried took him to a Bayer game in Solingen on his brother Martin's eighth birthday.
During his fond Bayer journey, "Paffi" has been part of various milestones - Bundesliga promotion in 1979, UEFA Cup victory in 1988, DFB Cup in 1993, relegation battles, and unfortunately too many second-place finishes in Leverkusen.
With the conclusion of the wild 2023/24 season, "Paffi's" time as a fan representative comes to a close after 36 years. In October 1988, the native Leverkusener began working for Bayer's fan activities, and on March 1, 1999, it became his full-time job. The path could've been quite different...
The trained fine mechanic worked in his primary occupation at Agfa, serving as a fan representative was a secondary gig.
At some point, both jobs became incompatible. When "Paffi" contemplated sharing this information with Bayer, he encountered Manager Reiner Calmund at the workplace. Calli then swiftly arranged for "Paffi" to be recruited.
As a disabled fan representative, "Paffi" will continue to be connected to Bayer. His passion for working with disabled fans - not only from Leverkusen - has been a significant part of his life for years.
On the pitch, "Paffi" consistently led the way.
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