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Now it ’ s not about doing just one thing in my life and living off that , but getting out of my comfort zone . It ’ s partly why I took over a restaurant / venue . It ’ s not an easy business and I need to push myself .
Your leadership drive no doubt helps you pursue your entrepreneurial projects ? My football career was over at the age of 31 . I thought about what I wanted to do next and had a good starting point . I wanted to challenge myself again to be successful in something else . I am taking on new challenges . Not everyone is successful but the more challenges you face , the better you become .
Football is a great community connector , right ?
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L ’ Escargot , a fine dining instituation in London ’ s Soho since 1927 is not just a restaurant but a unique building with numerous small meetings rooms , nooks and crannies . It is a haven for creative thinking and can provide a stimulating backdrop for events for up to 40 guests seated or receptions for up to 80
I always felt that when I was playing . Clubs now have responsibility for the cities they live in . So much money goes into football . Clubs can reach out and do good and help look after the less well off . I worked for my former club Stuttgart in a different capacity , latterly as CEO , and you understand how many people you reach and how much time people devote to the club . The English clubs I played for all
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Above : Thomas Hitzlsperger and CMW editor Paul Colston |
understood they were there for the community and involved in events too .
Tell us about DEI in sports ? I am the most authentic when I talk about my own story . I couldn ’ t deny the fact that I was gay and thought I didn ’ t have a place in football . It was really sad as I love football . That is just one element of diversity because people who have never been part of a minority don ’ t understand the difficulties people go through . Now my ambition is to bring people to this L ’ Escargot environment and create change . Some people in the room told me after our first salon discussions and events : ‘ We were thinking why haven ’ t we met before ’. My ideal is for people to leave the room happy , having networked and new friendships can hopefully begin . n
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