Schalke fans get unwelcome advent surprise

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2007

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AFP) — A football fan had a rude shock when he opened the first door on his treasured Schalke 04 advent calendar when he found the face of one of his beloved side's arch-rivals grinning back.

Passionate Schalke fan Tobias Meier, 28, was horrified to find not only a chocolate, but Werder Bremen's star midfielder Diego smiling back at him when he opened up the first door on his calender on December 1.

To add insult to injury, his father Peter, 50, had the same problem with his Royal Blues calendar after a mistake at the Italian printers meant roughly 40 of the 40,000 Schalke calenders were printed with pictures of Bremen stars.

Schalke and Werder Bremen were both involved in the race for last season's German league title, won by VfB...