On the weekend (August 24, 2025), the first league match for the football club of Twitch-Streamer Elias “EliasN97” Nerlich took place. At the start of the season, the ambitious Delay Sports only managed a draw. However, President Nerlich rated the behavior of many players before the game as much worse and took the first consequence even before the whistle.
What does EliasN97 find disrespectful? Despite the thin squad of Delay, which is currently struggling with many absentees due to injuries, many players were not aware of the responsibilities of proper game preparation. Numerous players spent the Friday and Saturday before the match at a festival in Berlin, celebrating excessively until the early hours of the match day.
The streamer expressed his disappointment on YouTube with a reaction to the match and feels disrespected by the players of his club. He had even accommodated the players by allowing them a training-free Friday to attend the festival that day. In return, he expected his players to conduct a proper preparation on Saturday, meaning: no alcohol and an early bedtime.
Why is EliasN97 angry? Especially the disrespect towards the coaching staff and the other staff is inexcusable, as they invest a lot of work into the club. He also feels betrayed by his team, as he always makes efforts to ensure that the players at Delay are provided with the best conditions.
Due to the founders’ fame and network, Delay manages to attract players who have previously played in much better leagues. Therefore, some view the project critically because no fair competition is possible in the league. There are also rumors that players are switching to Delay for money. However, according to Nerlich, no player receives a salary or a bonus. The players are there because they are passionate about the project.
For the public image of the already critically viewed club, such a start with the accompanying stories of the first match day seems very unprofessional.
Nerlich is currently applying for a loan for a club facility and is concerned that the bank would not grant him the loan if they saw that work in the club is not professional enough.
Furthermore, the players must internalize that they are not an ordinary district league club but that the project has much larger ambitions.
The result is only secondary. In terms of sports, Nerlich is convinced that promotion can be achieved again despite the bumpy start. In hindsight, he is glad that the players were brought down from their arrogance with this unsatisfactory start, as otherwise the danger would have been greater that they could behave like this again in the future.
However, Nerlich did not want to simply let the unprofessional behavior of his players pass. Even before the whistle, he and the coaching staff took the first consequences and did not hold back even from his co-founder and buddy.
Co-founder of Delay Sports warms the bench for 90 minutes
What consequences does EliasN97 draw? After consulting with the coaches Kevin Pannewitz and Andreas Schild, co-founder and streamer buddy Sidney “SidneyEweka” Friede was even removed from the starting lineup. Likely knowing that he is the best player in Delay’s squad and that only 2 other substitutes would be available.
Friede was reportedly one of those who had excessively celebrated according to Nerlich. As proof, Nerlich cited a video that would show Friede partying between 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM on match day. Friede even posted this video in the story of his Instagram account.
When Friede appeared at the meeting point before the match, he was told that he didn’t even need to change. President and buddy Nerlich held a long monologue to Friede, making it clear that such behavior is unacceptable.
How does the co-founder react? Friede has not yet made a statement. Nerlich expressed disappointment in the reaction since he allegedly has shown no remorse and claimed that the partying had been agreed upon beforehand.
Based on his reaction a day after the match, one might assume that Friede still feels justified. He posted some pictures on Instagram showing him at the aforementioned festival.
If Friede comments on the incident, we will add the statement here.
What will happen next with Delay Sports? In conclusion of his emotional statement, Nerlich emphasized that he will always support his passion project and continue to stand by his players.
For the new week, he announced that 2 new players from Delay’s second team would get a chance in the first team. It remains to be seen whether the confrontation and the action taken will lead to a change in mindset among some players.
The Icon League, which Nerlich has started together with Toni Kroos, will also start again soon. The small-field league is always delighted to have new stars who appear as guest players on match days. One such star has also promised a visit from the world’s most famous footballer: Cristiano Ronaldo could soon play in the Icon League on Twitch – former teammate provides hints
