Werder Bremen’s greatest victory in recent club history would be almost unthinkable without him. In the 2003/04 season, Ayrton made a sensation by scoring 28 goals in the Bundesliga, leading the green and white team to win the league championship and the German Cup double.
As a well-deserved reward, he was awarded, among other things, the coveted top scorer cannon. Ironically, however, this symbol of his career has not been his for nearly two decades.
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Since 2006, the trophy has been missing from the life of the Brazilian fans’ favorite. The background was a bitter dispute with his agent at the time, Werner Helleckes. Hellex took the cannon because Ayrton allegedly owed him money.
In the following years, the precious object even appeared on eBay several times, with the highest bid reaching 600,000 euros. Ayrton himself blocked the sale several times, but the cannon remains missing.
📸 Martin Rose-Bongarts
Today, 19 years later, a major turning point has finally come. On “Instagram”, the 52-year-old suddenly appeared again, holding the top scorer cannon in his hand. The relief was evident on his face and could be heard in his voice.
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“I’m delighted that after 19 years it’s back with me,” Ayrton told Bild. “This means everything to me and I won’t give up again.”
As the former striker explained, the trophy changed hands at the same time. It was transferred from Helleckes to another attorney, leading to another legal dispute.
In court, he was finally given the chance to get the cannon back for a fee. “I took advantage of the opportunity,” Ayrton said. “Such a trophy only exists once.” He deliberately kept the amount he paid secret: “How much I paid, I will keep it secret.”
This article was translated into English by artificial intelligence. You can read the original version of 🇩🇪 here.
📸 Andreas Lenz-Bongaerts
