Rolf Bantle, a Basel fan, went to San Siro to watch his favourite club face Inter Milan in a UEFA Champions League qualification game in 2004 but couldn’t return home until 11 years later.
As early as the first minute of the game Bantle and his fellow travelling fans saw their side trail by a goal after Adriano put the home side ahead before Dejan Stanković worsened the Basel fans’ nightmare in the 12th minute.
Four minutes into the second half, Mile Sterjovski pulled one back for Basel to offer a glimmer of hope to the away end, but a goal from Adriano and Álvaro Alexánder Recoba ensured Basel fans travelled back to Switzerland disappointed.
Just after seeing his side walloped by the Italian giants, Bantle went to the convenience after the game but lost his way on his return.
He was reported missing, but unfortunately for him, he had no close relatives to look out for him, and he had been living in a rehabilitation centre before coming to Italy.
Narrating his ordeal to Swiss outlet Schweiz am Sonntag in 2015 via JOE, he said:
“I was suddenly in a different sector. I had about €20 in my pocket and no phone so I wandered into Milan,” said Bantle.
“People gave me food and cigarettes, and one student offered me a sleeping bag.”
“There was for me no longer any reason to go home. I enjoyed the freedom of Milan,”
In 2015, Bantle broke his femur bone, and it was discovered that he had no health insurance. The Swiss consulate was contacted and he was taken back to Switzerland thereafter.
