I helped guide my team from fourth tier to the top division.. but highlight was falling in love with and marrying MASCOT

MARKUS KRoSCHE was named successful SC Paderborn’s Team of the Century – and helium adjacent joined the nine MASCOT.

The Eintracht Frankfurt CEO, 44, is 1 of European football’s rising stars successful the boardroom.

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Markus Krosche, sporting manager of Eintracht Frankfurt, met his woman Viktoria erstwhile she was a mascot[/caption]

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Viktoria donned the costume for Holli the Mouse astatine Paderborn games successful the aboriginal 2000s[/caption]

Krosche started his shot travel successful much humble surroundings, signing his archetypal pro papers with Werder Bremen aged 15.

He would spell connected to walk the bulk of his vocation with Paderborn, wherever helium became a nine legend.

As a tough-tackling midfielder, Krosche helped assistance the nine from the 4th tier each the mode to the Bundesliga.

Krösche played astir 400 games for Paderborn and skippered the broadside successful the top-flight.

But it was the club’s mascot – rodent Holli – that had a lasting effect connected the erstwhile German under-21 international.

Speaking to BILD, Krosche revealed: “My [now] woman worked for an bureau that marketed the mascot.

“She worked determination alongside her studies and accompanied Holli to appointments arsenic a photographer, among different things.

“That’s however we met.”

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Krosche confirmed that his woman Viktoria would besides assistance retired arsenic Holli connected immoderate lucifer days.

He added with a laugh: “It’s true, yes. That’s our story.”

The brace present person 2 teenage daughters – Maya and Clara – with the household inactive surviving successful Paderborn.

Krosche worked arsenic a sporting manager astatine RB Leipzig earlier landing his existent relation with Frankfurt.

The nine person enjoyed occurrence successful caller seasons, winning the Europa League successful 2022 and finishing 6th successful the Bundesliga past term.

Krosche admits helium was fortunate to bask specified a stunning vocation – arsenic helium lacked “outstanding skills.”

He added: “I wouldn’t motion maine astatine each due to the fact that I didn’t person immoderate outstanding skills.

“No bully technique, nary outstanding header, I wasn’t peculiarly fast.

“I would decidedly neglect our scouting team.

“[Frankfurt Director] Charly Korbel erstwhile told maine that helium wanted to motion maine to Eintracht successful the mid-2000s.

“The manager astatine the clip turned maine down – I would person done the same!”