Patrick Lindner lives near the Grünwalder Stadium: “The way some fans leave our neighborhood is disgusting!”

Patrick Lindner, since when have you lived across from the stadium on Grünwalder Straße? Peter, my husband and manager, and I moved here seven years ago.

For the 2017/18 season, a year earlier, TSV 1860 Munich had returned from the Allianz Arena to the historic stadium in Giesing. So, they knew what they were getting into. We were aware that the location had its advantages and disadvantages, yes.

What kind of disadvantages are these? They recently painted the top of our house wall, which faces the stadium, light and dark blue.

You? The fans. I don't even know how they even got up here. This is deliberate damage to someone else's property. I don't even know how many times some of the walls here have been repainted. As soon as something's fixed, it's vandalized again. There isn't a lamppost or traffic light here that doesn't have 1860 stickers on it. Maybe we residents should do the same with these fans' property. Would they like it?

What's it like outside your front door on match days? The way some fans leave our neighborhood is truly disgusting. We have a small dog, our Obelix, and we can hardly walk him after home games because there's so much broken glass. The firecrackers and pyrotechnics that are regularly set off at games are absolutely horrible for animals. These things are banned! If drastic penalties were imposed, this would be put to rest once and for all – a lifetime ban from all German stadiums. Sounds harsh – but what if talking doesn't help?

What do you want from the fans? There are certainly many who are sensible. But at the same time, there are an incredible number who don't adhere to the rules of good coexistence at all. Nobody wants this kind of chaos on their doorstep. I wish for respectful interaction with one another and with the Giesing district. I think all the residents would be happy about that. After all, we all appreciate what we have in this old, inner-city stadium: On home game days, there's always an incredible atmosphere here!

You're also a fan of the club yourself. My father was a huge Sechzger fan, and the club pennants hung in our VW Beetle. I grew up with that as a child. For me, 1860 is one of the few truly cult clubs, along with FC St. Pauli. You can see that in how many hardcore fans have been there for decades, even though times haven't always been easy. They've had to endure so much pain, and they're still loyal—it's truly remarkable!

How do you follow home games? My job requires me to travel a lot, even on weekends. But when we're home on home game days, we decorate the balcony with 1860 flags. Whenever possible, we also go to the stadium with friends. Sometimes, though, we just watch the games from our balcony.

Where's better? In the stadium or in your own apartment with a view of the pitch? The atmosphere in the stadium is, of course, unique. But we also get a lot of that up here when the kettle is really boiling downstairs. Being able to grab a drink from your own fridge and use your own bathroom certainly has its advantages. I still remember one of the first games after we moved in: It was terribly hot outside, and we watched the game from up here with a cool Giesinger Hell in our hands.

The Lions themselves have also expressed their gratitude for their support from the balcony. During the coronavirus pandemic, when spectators weren't allowed in the stadium, I occasionally shared photos of our view from home games in my Instagram stories. Then, at one of the next home games, Peter suddenly said, "Listen up: They're playing one of your songs!" For my 60th birthday, the team even gave me a jersey. That's how we bring joy to each other.

Can you imagine living anywhere else again? No, despite everything, we feel very comfortable here and have never considered moving away. The view of the greenery, in this case the green lawn, is simply unique – even when there's no game on.