Fritzle gets a starring role

Crocodiles like hot, sunny and humid weather. These cold-blooded reptiles tend to be found in the tropics, as the ideal temperature for them is somewhere between 25 and 32 degrees Celsius. The mercury did not quite get that high in Stuttgart on 23 September 2017, but it gave it a good shot. The weather bureaus in southern Germany reported a peak of 22 degrees and plenty of sunshine, making it a perfect (match)day for a crocodile by the name of Fritzle – the VfB mascot, who found himself featured on the club’s jersey that day.

Fritzle Club members named on shirt

In their Bundesliga home clash with Augsburg, VfB wore a special version of their usual white jersey with red hoop. It contained not only a portrait of Fritzle on the front, but also had the player numbers and the lettering on the back in crocodile-skin green, making the shirt truly unique. It also featured the names of each and every Fritzle Club member at the time in tiny print. 

VfB have released a variety of exceptional player jerseys over the years, and they are an integral part of the ‘Every Jersey Tells a Story’ exhibition, organised in conjunction with main sponsor LBBW and which is open to visitors free of charge at the Schauspiel Stuttgart until Sunday 10 May 2026. Each display cabinet has original jerseys from special events, including the club’s 120^th anniversary and the 1992 German Bundesliga title. The VfB jerseys were all produced and worn for one game only and then sold as limited editions, as was the case with the Fritzle version.  

Born in 1992, named in 1993 after huge fan vote

‘Fritzle’s birthday celebrations continue’ proclaimed the VfB website at the time, with a reptilian version of the jersey designed to mark the 25^th anniversary of Fritzle. Legend has it that an egg was found on the banks of the Neckar River on 1 July 1992, and then included on the team photo ahead of the 1992/93 season. VfB’s very own crocodile first saw the light of day at the Bundesliga game on 22 August 1992 at home to 1. FC Nürnberg. Fritzle only got his name a year or so later, after fans got to choose via a vote on 6 June 1993 on the ‘Sport im Dritten’ TV show. Other options at the time were Fetz, Julius, Alwin and Joschi, but Fritzle won out with 43.3 per cent of what was a very popular vote.  

The friendly croc was honoured at the Bundesliga home game on 23 September 2017 against Augsburg. VfB dominated proceedings but failed to create any clear-cut chances and the match ended in a goalless draw. A win to mark Fritzle’s 25^th birthday would have been ideal, but the mascot nevertheless got his own special jersey for the occasion.

Since then, ‘our Fritzle’ has braved far-from-tropical conditions at the MHP Arena, turning out to cheer on VfB come rain or shine.