If a visitor came from afar to pay a visit to the legendary Essen Uhlenkrug, he would think the stadium was contaminated. The Uhlenkrug, home of the ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen, DFB Cup winner from 1959, has been closed for months. The gates are barricaded, prohibition signs put up. Here, where the legendary Günter “Pommes” Leufgen used to run up and down the page as a left defender or where Oliver Bierhoff and Jens Lehmann began their careers, no ball has been rolling for months. The club is facing bankruptcy, in stark contrast to its unloved neighbor Rot-Weiss, who is not only allowed to play football, but is also going through the best phase in many years. How is that possible?