In 2019 Matthias Stockamp won the Danish championship with the Triangle Razorbacks. Before that, he narrowly failed several times in the final. (© Matthias Stockamp)
Hall. When asked about February 2017, Matthias Stockamp had to smile. “A lot has happened since then,” says the 29-year-old. At that time he was living in Nice, France. On the Côte d’Azur. Before that, he had already earned his living in Finland.
Further stations have been added in the past four years: Spain and Denmark. That pleases him. After all, traveling the world while playing was his big goal when he began his international career as a football professional in the northern French city of Troyes in January 2016. Today, around four years later, Stockamp is living his big dream. And still can hardly believe it.
Danish association gives him a place at university
For around three weeks between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, he visited his family and friends in Halle. Because of the corona pandemic, that was neglected last year, he says. Border closings, curfews and travel bans prevented families from reuniting earlier. Stockamp is now back in his adopted home Denmark. The university has been running there for a few days. Exclusively digital, that goes without saying.
His Danish association arranged for him to study. Stockamp is studying innovation and entrepreneurship, which means entrepreneurship. He has already completed his first degree. More are to follow. “I still find it overwhelming that I get the chance to study and play football professionally at the same time,” he says.
At first Stockamp doubted his plans abroad
He never did any training. When he left the Steinhagener Gymnasium after the twelfth grade, he worked and drove forklifts. Stockamp worked in the Barteldrees fruit juice press. Family and friends were initially skeptical when he went abroad to realize his dream of becoming a globetrotting professional.
“Today they are proud,” he says: “When I told my mother about the place at the university, she could hardly believe it.” Stockamp also had his doubts at first: “When other players told me that I could play abroad, I didn’t believe it. Until it happened, “he says.
“Suddenly I was no longer the eternal second”
In terms of sport, the 1.93-tall Haller continued to improve there. In his first season in Finland, Stockamp was in the final of the Finnish championship in 2016 with his team, the Seinäjoki Crocodiles. That got lost.
From Finland he moved to Nice. Then back to Finland and finally to Denmark. With the Triangle Razorbacks he won the Danish championship there in 2019. “I cried after the win,” admits Stockamp.
“Flag Football” didn’t appeal to him – fan of full contact
A great burden had fallen from him. “Suddenly I was no longer the eternal runner-up,” he says. Not only did he narrowly fail in his first year in Finland, he also lost the final in his second year in Scandinavia – this time with the Vaasa Royals. In Spain , where he played in 2020, Stockamp was unbeaten with the Barcelona Dragons before the season was canceled due to Corona. He is now back in Denmark.
Stockamp had no idea that he would one day earn his money with sports when he and his parents came across a Bielefeld Bulldogs flyer for “Flag Football” at the turn of the millennium. The essence of the game is to run a lot and pull out a flag The disembodied variant did not appeal to Stockamp, but his interest in football was aroused. A little later he started full-contact sport with the “Wild Dogs”.
Stockamp weighs 150 pounds – most of it is muscle
In his first year in the regional league, Stockamp hardly got any game minutes. Only under the American Dale Heffron, who led the Bulldogs almost to the German Football House of Lords in 2013, did the Haller make the jump into the starting lineup. In 2016 Stockamp then went abroad. And still not enough.
“Maybe until I’m 35 years old,” he replies when asked how long he wants to play football. He has been on a vegetarian diet for several years. He regularly goes to the gym. He weighs 130 kilos – most of it are muscles. “I don’t have any joint problems,” he says. And he has also been spared major injuries so far.
Dream of national team and European league
Stockamp is left tackle. His job is to protect the quarterback. That’s the brain of the game. Stockamp is something like his best friend on the field. If the quarterback pulls out to throw as a right-hander, he has a dead spot in his back. This is exactly where Stockamp protects.
In the future, the 1.93 meter tall man wants to play for the German national team. He also hopes to play in the European League of Football (EFL) at some point. This should start this year. The first season starts with eight teams. In the near future, up to 24 teams from ten different European countries will play against each other. “Let’s see what else comes up,” he says. One thing is certain: a lot will also happen in the years to come.
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