Basel Fan Lives on Streets for Decade After Getting Lost After 2004 Milan Game

The incredible story of FC Basel football fan Rolf Bantle has been told to Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag (via the Daily Mail).

Bantle slept rough on the streets of Milan for ten years after an away game at the San Siro in 2004.

Luca Bruno/Associated Press

His side lost the Champions League qualifier 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate), and he became lost on his way out of the stadium.

"I was suddenly in a different sector. I had about €20 in my pocket and no phone, so I wandered into Milan," he said. "People gave me food and cigarettes, and one student offered me a sleeping bag."

He had been living in a rehabilitation centre and had no family back in Switzerland.

"There was for me no longer any reason to go home," Bantle said. "I enjoyed the freedom of Milan."

One decade later, he is now living in a retirement home in Basel.

[Daily Mail]