Klaus Gjasula: Klaus Gjasula does not find his headgear particularly beautiful - it looks more like something worn by the comic-book villain Magneto or a Roman gladiator. But it allows the German-Albanian to keep playing football. “I’m not wearing it for fashion reasons. I just feel safer in it since I broke my cheekbone,” says the SC Paderborn professional.
In the 2019/20 season, Gjasula was the only player in German professional football protecting himself in this way. He had heard enough comments like “girl” or “go play chess instead”. When he broke his cheekbone in October 2013, the usual face mask was no longer enough when he returned to the pitch. “So I was happy when our sponsor built me a carbon helmet and made a quick comeback possible,” he recalls.
Back then he was playing for Regionalliga side Kickers Offenbach. The custom piece had first to survive a stress test from the Hessian Football Association before it could be approved. The first version failed because it was too hard and could endanger opponents.
The manufacturer then added foam and the approval came through. Gjasula never takes the helmet off in official matches. He does, however, leave it off in training.