The Twitch streamer Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe has stood out since the founding of the esports club Eintracht Spandau through his role as president and has since developed into a popular character among viewers. MeinMMO author Jacqueline explains what makes this role so special.
Who is President Knabe? President Knabe is a role of the streamer Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe. The character represents the leadership of the LoL team Eintracht Spandau.
What defines the role? He embodies a stereotypical, somewhat brash football coach who mainly stands out due to his bad mood and loud shouting. Generally, the entire club is structured to resemble a football team, starting with the name Eintracht Spandau. Furthermore, the club has its own mascot, a local pub, and so-called “Ultras,” as we know it from football.
On November 14, 2021, HandOfBlood first appeared as President Knabe. You can see the appearance here:
Intricate lore of President Knabe and Eintracht Spandau
What is the lore about? A major part of why the role of President Knabe is so well received is probably due to the lore that has been built around the club Eintracht Spandau, which makes the fans emotionally invested. Over time, a kind of ongoing interactive story has developed, in which the viewers can participate.
There are regularly held press conferences. In one video, the caretaker “Broeki” demands the dismissal of President Knabe (via YouTube). The fans immediately joined in, causing the term #Knaberaus to trend briefly on Twitter, ultimately leading to Knabe leaving the team.
As the story progresses, fans can witness how a rundown President Knabe recruits midlaner PowerofEvil into the Eintracht Spandau team. In video X, we then see how the former president insists on being responsible for the player now being on the roster.
Most recently, we have experienced in the lore how the president returns and not only leads the “League of Legends” team but also takes over the Baller League together with head coach Hans Sarpei.
“We have a fan culture that others don’t have”
What is President Knabe currently up to? Particularly in January, the role of President Knabe made waves again when HandOfBlood also appeared in his popular role at the Baller League.
This was polarizing, as it seemed peculiar to many who do not know the streamer or do not understand the lore around Eintracht Spandau when a streamer pretends to be an old man acting as a big football president.
What does HandOfBlood himself say about Eintracht Spandau and his role? In an interview with IRL streamer SkylineTV, the Twitch streamer explains what he believes defines the role of President Knabe in combination with the club Eintracht Spandau:
In the interview, he emphasizes in the role of president that his club is a real traditional club with its own fan culture that cannot be matched by other clubs. He highlights that the fans are actively involved in shaping the culture.
@einspandau Exactly☝️ #EINS #ballerleague ♬ Original sound – Eintracht Spandau
This creates curious and funny situations time and again. This is also a reason why the role is particularly popular among fans.
“First it cracks, then it bangs: KNABE MALZ”
The drink of President Knabe: With his persona President Knabe, HandofBlood has also launched a drink. It is called Knabe Malz, and the associated slogan, which always appears on the Instagram channel, is: “First it cracks, then it bangs: KNABE MALZ”
The drink is a malt beverage but is presented like a type of beer. The beverage was created in partnership with Krombacher and is available in EDEKA, Rossmann, Penny. It can also be ordered online from Ready2Drink, Sparbude, or Dosenmatrosen.
In an interview with aboutdrinks, HandofBlood said: “Furthermore, malt beverage is so fitting because it culturally and visually resembles beer, but is alcohol-free and safe for young audiences. This fits perfectly into our portrayal at Eintracht Spandau, where of course every proper Ultra should hold a canned beer in hand.”
In summary, it can be said that the role of President Knabe is noticeable and polarizing. Through the portrayal of a stereotypical football coach, the role is already very humorous for many.
What is particularly fascinating is how well he plays this role and how consistently he carries it out on stage. This astonishes his conversation partners live on stage and sometimes leaves them speechless. Often even the fans themselves can no longer categorize whether it was all real or played, because it is so well done.
Above all, fans feel connected to the club Eintracht Spandau and President due to the genuine fan culture that has emerged, where fans can actively participate. There is an extensive lore and plenty of humorous content, as is customary with HandofBlood.
More about the Baller League and the duo President Knabe and Hans Sarpei can be read here:
