Why “Kugelblitz” Ailton once rode to the sports field in De Lutte

By Holger Wilkens This action even made national headlines 20 years ago: During a short training camp for the then Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 at the country house hotel "De Bloemenbeek" in De Lutte, not far from the county, Brazilian star footballer Ailton didn't hop on a Dutch bike like his teammates Bordon or manager Rudi Assauer to cycle to training – he rode a horse, wearing a royal blue outfit, to the sports field 1.5 kilometers away. Th…