Tornado Luxembourg and Luxembourg National Team player Rafael Springer, (life) artist by profession, was portrayed on Luxembourg national television May 17th, 2007 in "de Magazin".
The portrait is in Letzebuerg's dialect. A partly translation follows:
Show host: In a society in which material security is the major
issue in life for most people, it surprises when someone is not
interested at all in this issue. Rafael Springer from .... lives
for the day. To have fun is the only thing that counts for the
life artist. ..... When his life is art and sport he is happy.
Olivier Cattani portrays him.
Rafael Springer: Hello, I am Kofi, icehockey-player, number seven,
defenseman.
Salut, I am Rafael, artist. .. I cannot write, I cannot play ice
hockey, but I continue playing. I always learn something extra.
Cattani: The Kofi as ice sculptor. ....
Rafael: People say, It is impossible that an artist is a sportsman.
And espacially not playing icehockey. Such a brutal sport. But
both belong to my being.
Cattani: ... To tank energy playing icehockey. ....... Grandmother
was an actress, his mother a violinist and his father a director.
.... After three years as an administrative employee he quit his
regular job and took up art. He doesn't want to live a regular
life. He is a self learner. Painting bottoms, writing books and
polishing breasts.
Rafael: ....... The hat, yes that is a souvenir from Mongolia.
No not from Mongolia, but from the World Championship, the Icehockey
World Championship. We played Mongolia, a World Championship match.
They all wore these hats, that looked super. I wanted to look
like a Mongolian.
Catani: .... Rafael took the bronze medal at the recent World
Championship Division III.
Rafael: We worked hard, we played well. And I was proud to be
present at my age. I was the oldest player at the tournament.
Catani: ..........
Rafael: When ones plays in Beaufort and the going gets tough,
and the play goes out of hand and the adrenalin flows freely and
one gets a stick in the face they go raging mad. Not me, I stay
calm.
Catani: ...
Rafael: ....
Catani: Beside that Rafael writes books and plays in movies. Mostly
bodyguards, Nazi's or murderers. So his life is full of variation.
Rafael: Also small animals shit, you know. One sells a few books,
sells a small painting, gets a small job. But I am to old to be
a professional icehockey player. Catani: It is not Rafael's intention
to get rich. ..... He doesn't need a Lamborghini, an Armani suit
or a villa on the Cote d'Azur. ....
Catania: .......
Rafael: ..... The Old Puckers, the veterans, want me on their
team. But, I like to play with the youngsters.
Show host: Yes, that's to way to stay young. I wish Rafael a lot
a succes with his two careers.