After emigrating to America in 1978, VfB Stuttgart fan Eike Jordan built a large network across the southern states of the USA as founder and director of the German-American Chamber of Commerce, and founder of a number of other companies. Today, he continues to foster relations between the two nations as chairman and trustee of the Halle Foundation. In an interview ahead of VfB’s upcoming trip to Hamburger SV, Jordan looks ahead to Saturday’s game and reflects on a previous visit to the Volksparkstadion which put one of his friendships to the test. He also shares his thoughts on his home city and sheds light on his current work.
Jordan, you moved to Stuttgart with your family in 1950, not long after the war. Becoming a VfB fan was the natural next step, wasn’t it?
“Yes. I had two older brothers who were always playing football and loved VfB. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Stuttgart was heavily damaged after the war, so VfB’s success was a ray of hope during the reconstruction and really reflected the spirit of the times.”
Your move to the USA didn’t exactly make following VfB easier. How did you keep up with their results?
“My brother would send them on Monday mornings from his law firm in Germany to another law firm in Atlanta, and a friend of mine would then forward them to me. Every now and then, he’d have a little fun by passing on fake results, which was particularly annoying during our exciting era with Hansi Müller, Karl Allgöwer and the Förster brothers (laughs). The fax machine made things a lot easier later on.”
You’ve also remained loyal to the ‘Ländle’ and VfB throughout your professional career. How did you manage that?
“As Chamber of Commerce director for six southern states, and later with my own companies, I helped a lot of German businesses enter the US market. I’ve always enjoyed fostering the relationship between America and Germany in that way. Many of my clients were from Baden-Württemberg, which is how I stayed in contact with the ‘Ländle’ – and VfB were always great common ground.”
How did you become involved with the Halle Foundation and Soccer in the Streets?
“Claus Halle, former president of Coca-Cola International, wanted to use his foundation to strengthen ties between Germans and Americans. In 2004, he asked me to serve as a trustee and chairman. We support projects in education, art and culture. To me, it’s clear that football can also bring people together. I’d been toying with the idea of promoting football specifically for quite some time, so Soccer in the Streets is the perfect fit. The fact that VfB are now getting involved too is a dream come true for me.”
Our team travel to Hamburg on Saturday. What kind of game are you expecting, and what memories do you associate with this traditional North vs. South Bundesliga clash?
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to watch the game in Hamburg, but I’m hoping – and keeping my fingers crossed – that VfB get the win. I’m feeling very optimistic on the back of recent results. I have one particularly special memory of an away game at Hamburg: I was at the Volksparkstadion with a long-time friend, his son and his grandson. The only issue was that everyone apart from me was a die-hard HSV fan – and VfB were the far better side! When we made it 4-0, my little group of HSV fans lost their cool (laughs). First, my friend’s son and grandson disappeared, then my friend took off as well. I was left behind on my own and had to figure out how to get home by myself, without any prior warning. Our friendship survived that little episode, though.”
