Günther Bieda was a member of the Germen national homeless football team at the 2004 Homeless World Cup which was held in Gothenburg, the cultural capital of Sweden. The Homeless World Cup was initiated by the international network of street newspapers which fights against homelessness and poverty. Homeless people usually sell newspapers in pedestrian areas, try to overcome social, cultural and personal boundaries through this event. 144 players from all over the world took part in the 2005 event. The figure has now gone up to over 500.
Bieda barely survived a car accident in 1986, caused by drunk driving and spent a long time in a coma. During that time, his wife and their two children left him and Bieda ended up on the street. For almost ten years, Bieda has been homeless and sleeps in bus stations and occasionally at friends houses.
He still has no contact to his divorced wife or his children. But he is on his way. He wants to get his life back together again and the chances are good, in part due to the Homeless World Cup. It’s here that Bieda has proven that he can be part of a team.
