Eccentric hairstyles have always been seen on the soccer field, and for several years almost every professional has been extensively tattooed. But painted fingernails on a soccer player? This is more of an exception. And the reason why Fabian Reese is attracting attention right now.
The 25-year-old has just switched from Holstein Kiel to Hertha BSC, plays up front – and likes to wear nail polish. A fact that sets Reese apart from most other players. The attacker is well aware of this. “I have a different hairstyle and nail polish. I’m not the prototype of a footballer. I stand up for my opinion and my values,” he said at his presentation in Berlin. “As a professional footballer, I want to be a role model: just dare to do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter what other people say.”
As soon as the new Hertha jersey was presented, Reese’s white painted fingernails caught the eye on the club’s post on social networks. The fans discussed this fashionable detail more than the sporting implications of the transfer. The reactions were mixed: some attested the striker’s “style”, others found it “exaggerated”. At Hertha training, Reese wore light blue: “New week, new color.” He doesn’t care that not everyone likes it: “Everyone can also say that it looks nice. Tastes are different.”
Reese is not the first to show color on his fingers: Jackson Irvine from FC St. Pauli occasionally plays with black-colored fingernails, while David Beckham painted them 20 years ago. Nevertheless, Fabian Reese sets a counterpoint to the more classic ideals of masculinity in the football business Fabian Reese – even if that may not be that important to him. In terms of sport, the striker should help bring Hertha BSC back to the Bundesliga.
Sources: “Berliner Kurier” / Transfermarkt
