Elf Freunde Kreisel

The Elf-Freunde-Kreisel in Kaiserslautern is a traffic circle that’s basically a concrete pep rally for 11 footballers who are forever stuck in their game poses, cheerfully reminding everyone that if you want to win, you need to hang out with your buddies—unless you’re the goalkeeper, in which case, you might want to just keep an eye on your head.

These concrete athletes were created by the German sculptor Christel Lechner and wear the uniforms of the local team. They were erected in August 2004, in advance of Germany hosting the 2006 World Cup. They have remained in the middle of this traffic circle ever since—except for a few months in 2019.

An act of vandalism resulted in two players losing their heads, and the rest of the team covered in blue paint. It made even the most chaotic soccer match look tame. After, the figures were dismantled and returned to the artist’s studio, where they got a glow-up for a cool 13,000 euros—because who wouldn’t want to restore their concrete buddies to their former glory?