When Frankfurt Galaxy won the final of the European League of Football (ELF) in Düsseldorf at 32:30 against the Hamburg Sea Devils at the end of September, the football world seemed to be fine.

The beaming winners from Main raised the shiny trophy triumphantly - they were the first to win this new league.

The fists of success were still clenched in Frankfurt when less good news made the rounds.

A few professionals were dissatisfied and expressed their displeasure in public.

They only clenched their fists out of anger and disappointment.

It all started with Omari Williams, who criticized the accommodation of the so-called import players in August.

The defensive back complained about what it considered to be the miserable living conditions of the foreign professionals.

Up to 13 of them were accommodated in an old single-family house in Sossenheim.

Even in the days when the first division club Frankfurt Universe used it as a home for its professionals, the accommodation had the euphemistic name "Purple Paradise".

"Never worse than here"

Galaxy took over the house from Universe - as well as the office, the team, the coaching staff and almost the entire administration team.

"We reported our complaints on the first day of the club leadership, but nothing happened," wrote Williams on Facebook.

The story made the rounds, Williams was laughed at by many.

But others now also spoke up. Like Desmond Cooper. The man is a seasoned professional and has already played as safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. "Our living situation in Frankfurt was bad," said Cooper of the FAZ. "I've never had worse living conditions than here." When Omari Williams expressed his criticism, it was even ridiculed. He only asked for things that were taken for granted, says Cooper: for “adequate living conditions and accountability”.

The third complainant was Kadel King. The 25-year-old British defensive back from London described on Facebook the conditions under which he and his teammates had to cope in "purple paradise": "Mold everywhere, cockroaches, rats, no hot water for months, leaks in the kitchen." King complains about ridicule from the environment, which was directed against everyone who denounced the grievances.

In fact, the house in Sossenheim has never been luxury accommodation.

Daniel Zeidler, the managing director of Frankfurt Universe, knows the dwelling very well, as the top division club also had imported players there.

The mixture of flat share for men and the architectural charm of the sixties created a special atmosphere.

“In our time, the conditions there were still acceptable,” says Zeidler.

This year, however, a burst water pipe caused damage in the house and it was apparently never properly rehabilitated.

The consequences: moisture, black mold, stench.

Galaxy is silent on the allegations

Cooper also reports a defective oil heater. At times the house smelled like an ailing ocean-going steamer. “There was definitely a huge backlog of renovations in this house,” says Zeidler, “because the landlord would have had to be made much more responsible.” There wasn't even a caretaker at the end of the season. There are different representations of his departure. "He was fired from Galaxy," claims Cooper. “I think he gave up on his own initiative,” says Zeidler, who can't resist criticizing: “Galaxy actually started to do everything more professionally. And now this. "

The attempt to get an opinion on the allegations from the ELF club was unsuccessful.

"We will not comment on this matter," says Julia Reininger, the spokeswoman for Galaxy.

This could also be due to the fact that lawyers are now involved.

Not because of the ailing house, but because of another point that casts a shallow light on the beaming winners from Frankfurt.

Both King and Cooper had injuries and had to undergo surgery over the course of the season.

King had flown home after being dissatisfied with the treatment of his knee in Frankfurt.

The first six weeks of his rehab were “disgusting”.

Then he would have been "thrown into the plane with his" literally deformed knee ".

Cooper had had an ankle operation and was basically satisfied with the course of the operation and the rehab.

But the club left him alone with the complicated formalities.

To date, he has only received part of a single monthly salary.

The American was already out on July 17th in the home game against the Barcelona Dragons.

In the front office of Galaxy, he was told several times that the "paperwork had been done".

"But they lied."

Cooper is deeply disappointed.

"I have nothing against this league, but I have something against the fact that professionals who risk their health here for 1,000 to 2,000 euros a month are treated so badly." Cooper has now hired a lawyer to counter his claims to claim against the club.

Rumor has it that Galaxy has now reacted and wants to hire a team manager who is supposed to support professionals with formalities with professional associations or health insurers.

It is also said that James McGoldrick, Frankfurt fitness entrepreneur and partner at Galaxy, had a look at the house in Sossenheim and determined that it was in need of renovation.

At the end of October, the players organized themselves into a union to represent their interests vis-à-vis the ELF and its clubs.

As far as Frankfurt is concerned, Cooper has already made a decision.

When asked if he could imagine playing for Galaxy again, he said, “No.

This is not the place where I want to be. "