Guestbook
Keynote - Talk - Workshop - Seminar - Event
Red Fox Award
Nominated as Speaker
of the year 2021
Bavarian Broadcasting
Red Fox Award
Bavarian Broadcasting
Dear Babak,
I have made 4 suicide attempts in 30 years and would have liked to talk to you. I want to end the pain only halfway through life. I am still alive.
Dear Mr Rafati,
I am a referee and I have taken an example from your manner and you are also an example for me. I think it was very good how you fought and won the match.
With kind regards
Dear Mr Rafati,
I recently watched a BR report with my family. We were and are all totally taken with what a reflective and likeable person you are!
All the best for the future and best regards :)
Dear Mr Babak Rafati!
You helped me a lot to achieve my goal.
This was to hold out professionally until a deadline I had set myself (which in retrospect "happened" to be 18 months).
Your resurrection gave me courage;
I look back very fondly on your lecture, which I was able to witness in person on 29.03.2017, as well as on the signing of my/your book.
I have learnt to keep the balance on my own way forwards as well as backwards - thank you.
Best regards
Heike Gimmel
Dear Mr Babak Rafati!
You helped me a lot to achieve my goal.
This was to hold out professionally until a deadline I had set myself (which in retrospect "happened" to be 18 months).
Your resurrection gave me courage;
I look back very fondly on your lecture, which I was able to witness in person on 29.03.2017, as well as on the signing of my/your book.
I have learnt to keep the balance on my own way forwards as well as backwards - thank you.
Best regards
Heike Gimmel
Dear Mr Rafati.
First of all, I would like to thank you for your openness. I myself suffer from severe depression but only found the courage to do something about it after reading your article in "Lifelines". Unfortunately too late for my life so far. My previous employer didn't have as much understanding as your board of directors at Hannover Sparkasse and dismissed me. But what is worse for me is that my wife and our six-year-old son also left and did not support me as they did in their case. In my eyes you are a very lucky person because your wife stands by you unconditionally. At this point I would like to send my regards and respect to Mrs. Rafati. I had to read your book several times, which I devoured, because in some parts it always gives me courage to give myself out.
I thank you for your contribution to help affected people and their relatives to help themselves or a loved one. The illness depression has arrived in our society but the fear of it outweighs the information.
I wish you all the best for your new life and would be very happy about an autograph that reminds me of you as my role model.
Yours sincerely and with thanks
Stefan Smodis
Dear Mr Rafati,
I saw the film in the media library and immediately remembered the time. As a youngster, I was very interested in referees, starting with the 2004 European Championship. I was a referee fan from then on. I loved football, but the referees were my friends. I was on the side of the referees in all decisions and sometimes I suffered a lot with them when a wrong decision and its extent came to fruition. I "hated" rule-based slogans like "referee we know where your car is" or demanding yellow cards.
I knew who the world referee was, who refereed in the Bundesliga and I remembered looking at photos and gestures of referees on the internet. As a youngster, you go by looks a bit, but also by personality. Of course I had my favourite referees and I could list a few from that time. They were also among the referees I really liked to see on the pitch. And at that time it was a shock for me when I heard the news in the media. Personally, I had hoped to see them as world referees like Dr. Markus Merk at international matches one day. I liked you very much when you were young. I liked your looks and your manner on the pitch.
What impresses me most about your story is that you had a circle of people who caught you in time, that you had a wife who believed in you and stood firmly by your side. That is such a great gift, which is of incredible importance in these moments of suffering.
I wish you and your wife a blessed journey....
Dear Mr Rafati,
I also saw the programme by chance and am deeply impressed by the openness with which you spoke about this taboo subject.
I hope the message reaches many people in similar situations.
All the best for you and your strong wife.
Dear Mr Babak Rafati!
You helped me a lot to achieve my goal.
This was to hold out professionally until a deadline I had set myself (which in retrospect "happened" to be 18 months).
Your resurrection gave me courage;
I look back very fondly on your lecture, which I was able to witness in person on 29.03.2017, as well as on the signing of my/your book.
I have learnt to keep the balance on my own way forwards as well as backwards - thank you.
Best regards
Heike Gimmel
Dear Mr Rafati,
I happened to see the report on "Lebenslinien" about you today. I can't describe why, but I just felt the need to thank you for it! Thank you for being so open about the subject of depression, thank you for speaking so unsparingly and honestly about how you deal with it. Especially in a world where there is more appearance than reality - especially in football - I think it takes a lot of courage to address things like this. Depression should no longer be a taboo subject. Her case and that of Robert Enke have shown that. It is an illness that can affect anyone and everyone should be aware of that. I also hope that your reportage and work will help everyone to question themselves before they launch emotionally charged verbal attacks. You said that as a referee you have to put up with abuse from fans... to a certain extent, that's part of it. But everyone should first think about what their insults and remarks do to the other person. With your ex-boss, too, this prior reflection would certainly have been appropriate. I wish that EVERYONE is treated humanely - sad that this is not an absolute matter of course! You have impressed me deeply and I thank you for that! Keep up the good work!
Dear Babak,
I watched the talk show on Sky yesterday and would like to express my greatest respect for your statement on the subject of referees.
As a fan, it is slowly becoming unbearable to see how players want to influence the referee's decision, starting in the Bundesliga and going all the way down to the district leagues, by putting verbal pressure on him.
As long as the referee is not shown more respect, video evidence is counterproductive in my opinion. In the Bundesliga, you can already see players exerting verbal pressure on the referee when he makes the gesture for video evidence.
Please continue to contribute to this topic in public.
Best regards
Uwe
Wa a great lecture in Aachen today.
I took a lot away with me. Hats off to your wife. Enjoy life.
LG from Aachen
Dear Babak,
I would like to send you warm greetings. I have also gone through a suffering path in the company from which I have pulled myself out by my own hair. You are a role model. You can draw from this negatively as well as positively. Keep up the good work.
Dear Babak,
I just wanted to commend you on your website. I just found it and I am really impressed. It looks really professional and therefore makes a mega impression. Keep it up :)
Dear Babak,
I would like to thank you once again for your fantastic lecture to the gynaecologists on Mallorca! The participants were very touched, but also enthusiastic that you dealt with the problem so openly. Your contribution was therefore a frequent topic of discussion during the following evenings and will certainly remain in everyone's memory. Thank you very much and keep up the good work!
Your lecture yesterday in Trier touched me deeply and made me think. Your message is right: you cannot change others, but you can change yourself in such a way that those who are not good for you can no longer harm you so much. All the best to you and your wife for the future!
Vielen Dank für einen bewegenden Vortrag beim Expertenforum in Hannover. Der Vortrag hat mich berührt und meine Denkweise verändert.
Thank you very much for a moving lecture at the Expert Forum in Hanover. The lecture touched me and changed my way of thinking.
Thank you very much for your openness in this programme. You are not alone with your bad experiences ... and, you have done everything right! Please keep up the good work ...! It's nice that there are people like you. All the best for the future for you personally and your loved ones. Thank you!!!
Lifelines: Thank you very much for your openness in this programme. You are not alone with your bad experiences ... and, you have done everything right! Please keep up the good work ...! It's nice that there are people like you. All the best for the future for you personally and your loved ones. Thank you!!!
I saw the documentary about your life yesterday.
Respect and great appreciation that you talk so openly about the subject.
Depression is an illness and must be treated.
I wish you and your wife all the best for the future.
I think many committed people can find themselves in her film contribution "Lifelines". One can only thank them for taking up this topic. It touched me deeply.
In many companies, the management is called to account in the case of occupational accidents. Often even immediately, directly and with the task of analysing and bringing about changes to prevent future accidents. But unfortunately only for physical injuries and not for injuries to the soul. The employers' liability insurance associations probably don't pay for this, because otherwise more attention would be paid to this issue in the companies as well.
There is still a long way to go. Thank you for taking the first steps for all the many people affected.
A very good report in "Lifelines"!
I am affected myself and thank you for your commitment to go public.
You and your wife are very sweet and sympathetic and I too wish you all the best.
Hello,
I am impressed by the programme. Life is far too precious to let someone ruin it for you. Mr F. has still not put on the shoe and denies everything. Mr F. seems to have a pronounced lack of character. I wish you and your family all the best for the future.
Hello Mr Rafati,
I too have just seen the "lifelines" report on TV and wanted to tell you that you did everything right! Through the crap you unfortunately had to experience, you have developed further in the end. Respect! You and your wife are very likeable people and I sincerely wish you and your loved ones a relaxed future. You deserve it.
Kind regards Elke Schiel
Saw your film on TV at BR. I confess I don't like football, I don't even know the most important players. There is just no interest in this sport.
Nevertheless, I watched your film because I also suffer from depression, caused by high pressure to perform in the family. After "cutting the cord" from my family and with the help of my wife, medical support and a few medicines, I am almost free of depression. I wish you much courage for all further steps into a hopefully depression-free future. I have a lot of respect for you for being so open about this often hidden topic and for shedding so much light on the side of depression.
Thank you. A. Bagantar
Dear Mr Rafati,
My name is Imran Ghaznawi and I am 16 years old. I am a referee in the Frankfurt am Main district.
When I heard your story for the first time, it really touched me. Since then I have been reading articles about her on the internet, which also touches me again and again. One day I will buy your book and read it intensively.
Now let me tell you about myself!
My name is Imran Ghaznawi and I am 16 years old!
I am a referee in the Frankfurt am Main district and my referee club is in one of the biggest clubs in Frankfurt "FC Germania 1911 Enkheim" and I have been a referee since September 2013. My goal is to be a FIFA/Bundesliga referee.
I would be happy if you would get in contact with me, as you are also one of my referee role models!
Dear Mr Rafati,
My name is Lars Trossert, a big BVB fan and I'm watching the Dede farewell match with you as referee ... Very great class ...
My family has a very special relationship with you and we'll never forget it ... our daughter Luisa was your starter at Signal-Iduna Park on 1.10.2011 in the match against Augsburg. And we remember this day with pleasure and when we heard that you will be at Dede's match today, we are very happy about that.
We wish you and your family all the best.
Many greetings from Birgit, Lars and especially Luisa Trossert.
Dear Mr Rafati,
after hearing you talk about yourself yesterday on Lanz, I slowly realised that I have depression and am going to my GP this morning to get some more help. My heartfelt thanks for your clear and sincere description :)
For me, too, the trigger is a professional situation that was really stressful for me for three years. I took a lot of humiliation and insults and I didn't want to let it get me down....
I am also very ashamed, but now I know that this is part of it....
I would be interested to know which clinic you went to.
With best regards,
Linde Stein
Dear Mr Rafati,
I was able to experience you at SchmidtCollege and I was deeply moved.
Thank you for your life testimony.
Many more people need to hear your story.
You can encourage many people to see the alarm signals for "burn out" in time.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Especially the sentence: "Weakness is not being weak, but not admitting it to yourself". I wish you God's rich blessings and I have taken you to my heart.
Sister Teresa
Dear Mr Rafati,
Thank you again for your great, inspiring and at the same time honest and approachable lecture at the Hanover Fair. It was a pleasure and I would always invite you again to raise awareness of this issue in our society. There are many people like you, but only a few.......
Dear Babak,
Thank you very much for your lecture yesterday at the Duale Hochschule in Mannheim. I am impressed by your description of the course of the disease and especially the role of the DFB. At no time did I have the feeling that you wanted to shift the blame onto others in a media-effective way, but rather analysed quite soberly who has to or should take which part of the blame.
I wish you and your family all the best for the future and I wish us all that the day will come when the topic of "burn-out" will find the social acceptance it deserves.
Many greetings from Mannheim,
Carsten
Dear Babak,
Thank you so much for such an honest and moving talk today.
I was totally touched and still think a lot about your words!
It is simply admirable how you got back on your feet and above all how you are now passing this on to others. I think you reach many more people this way than with many other lectures, which are more in the form of a "moral sermon".
Thank you and all the best for you and your family!
Hello Babak,
Thank you very much for your unsparing and open words!
I think it's admirable that you can talk about it so honestly. I think you made many people think today and totally picked them up. Even though we were quite a young audience, I hope you realised from all the questions that the issues are on our minds too.
Please keep doing this, because there are not many people who can talk about it like this and I think it is absolutely important that you still address this taboo topic. Thank you for that too!
I wish you and your family all the best and hope that you can help many more people with your experiences!
Hello Babak (you offered us the "you" tonight),
Thank you very much for the great evening, for sharing your time and your story with us. Your open and direct manner, but also the seriousness of the topic were and are very inspiring. I will be able to take a lot away from this great evening.
Again a big THANK YOU and all the best for you and your family.
Many greetings
Simon
Dear Babak Rafati,
I finally had time to read your very intensive and interesting book in the last few days. I am and was very emotionally touched by your descriptions of refereeing and how you were treated as a human being!
Hats off to you for your courage in writing this book, where the gentlemen (Fandel/Krug) are also mentioned by name, who, with their inhuman system, cause such suffering to people like you. I can understand this well, as I myself work in an area where only performance counts and not people! It is always difficult when you have no support.
People who have the courage to criticise publicly, like your former referee colleague Manuel Gräfe, whom I had the honour of meeting personally last year, are forbidden by an internal agreement to continue to criticise in public.
I am all the more pleased to see how you have drawn new strength and power from this difficult time and are now living your life differently and more consciously.
I have the utmost respect and appreciation for your life's work as a person and as a referee.
I wish you and your family all the best in life. You all deserve it so much!
Kind regards from Essen NRW Petra Kosa
Dear Babak Rafati,
I have literally devoured your very interesting book in the last few days and read the last pages last night. In the last few months I have read a lot of books, including biographies about football. Finally, a book in which "horse and rider" (Fandel/Krug) are named, who, with their inhuman system, do such suffering to people like you. As an outsider, one must unfortunately assume that only the tip of the iceberg comes to light. I am very pleased to see how you have drawn new strength and power from this difficult crisis and how you experience your life differently and more consciously today. "Here and today"
I wish you and especially your strong wife Rouja all the best, much happiness and health !!!!
Kind regards from Southern Germany Thomas Falk
Dear Babak Rafati,
What an unbelievably intense book I was allowed to read in the last three days.
As a former referee chairman, teaching supervisor, football referee and observer in the upper amateur area, I am ashamed of the inhuman system "Fandel/Krug" and have the greatest respect and appreciation for your life's work as a person and referee.
I wish you and your family all the very best in life. You all deserve it so much!
Thank you for giving hope and courage to so many people in life.
Yours sincerely, Heiner Schlereth
Dear Mr Rafati,
I am currently watching the Ailton Allstars match against Werder.
What I particularly like about the game is,
is that you're back on the pitch.
For me, you are and were the most likeable referee ever.
I was very shocked when the news about you broke in the Cologne stadium,
but I'm all the happier that you're on the mend.
It's nice to see you on TV again.
We wish you and your family all the best and, above all, good health.
we wish you and your family.
Ps: It's nice that you are back.
Dear Mr Rafati,
I just read the interview with you in the Tagesspiegel. It is very moving how you describe the way into depression, but also the way out of it.
Stay true to yourself. All the best to you and your family.
Rainer Scheidig
Hello Babak,
Greetings from Basel as a room mate at the beginning of the 90s at the tournament in Malgrat de Mar (at that time with Dr. Zempel). It is moving what you have experienced, I have followed most of your life. Today I ordered your book and I am already looking forward to it.
Best regards
Rainer Scheidig
I myself now live in the "Hitzfeld" town of Lörrach and not far from the home of our national coach Joggi Löw (Schönau), but as an active player I turned my back on the football business 10 years ago.