The Atlanta Falcons name the International Fan of the Year

There are levels of football fandom. For those who follow the sport, they likely know casual fans as well as die-hard fans. Few fans, however, have the distinction of being named the International Fan of the Year by their favorite NFL team. Alesantoz Swoch, who goes by Atlanta Falcons Germany on social media, was awarded this honor in February by the Atlanta Falcons.

Falcons fans were first introduced to Alesantoz in May of 2023. He was featured in a video posted by the Falcons which announced they had been awarded marketing rights in Germany. The surprise announcement came from Chris Lindstrom (G).

This year, Alesantoz received another surprise announcement. This time the announcement came from Greg Beadles, President of the Atlanta Falcons, informing him that he had been named the International Fan of the Year. This is the first time the Falcons have bestowed this honor.

Alesantoz thought he was going to tape some promotional material for the upcoming 2024 season. He had no idea that was a setup. Donned in a Falcons hat and an ATL hoodie, Alesantoz was visibly surprised when Greg Beadles appeared on the video screens at the German pub. He was rendered speechless when he told about being named International Fan of the Year, and that the team was going to fly him and guest to Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft to represent the Falcons.

Congratulatory tweets came from Team President, Greg Beadles, Vice President of Football Communications, David Bassity, and former Falcon, Jamal Anderson. Anderson is one of Alesantoz's all-time favorite players.

A fan of the Falcons since 1995, Alesantoz's primary focus these past seven years, has been to create a community where German Falcons fans can come together. He has built this community through the Atlanta Falcons Germany Fan Club, social media, as well as a Falcons podcast called Talk UP!

Alesantoz's fandom for the Falcons extends beyond his native country of Germany. In 2023, he traveled from Berlin to London, Atlanta, and New Jersey to watch the Falcons play. His travel partners were the co-hosts of the Talk UP! Podcast. In addition to building a community in Germany of Falcons fans, Alesantoz makes sure to connect with Falcons fans during his travels as well.

He happily gifts merchandise from the Atlanta Falcons Germany Fan Club. T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and
stickers are readily available. Justin Felder, Anchor & Executive Producer at FOX 5 Atlanta, WAGA-TV, was gifted a sticker in London.

Alesantoz has quite the collection of autographed Falcons jerseys. Some of his signed jerseys include Cordarelle Patterson, Younghoe Koo, Chris Lindstrom, Warrick Dunn, and Jessie Bates III. He gets them framed and displays them in his workspace in Berlin.

Alesantoz enjoys connecting with Falcons fans on social media, and looks forward to meeting up with them in person as well. The team is the common denominator, and all parties enjoy talking Falcons' football.

To get an authentic game day experience, Alesantoz and crew tailgated with members of the Dirty Birds Nest ahead of the Falcons vs. Saints game. Fans from Atlanta were happy to meet and greet them and take pictures.

The Falcons provided sideline access for Alesantoz and the Talk UP! Podcast crew during their visit. They were able to watch the pre-game warm-ups for the Falcons vs. Saints game.

It should be noted that Alesantoz not only attended the Falcons' game during his multi-day stay in Atlanta, he made sure to explore the city and go by some popular tourist spots including Centennial Olympic Park, the Jackson Street Bridge, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.

Before heading back to Germany, Alesantoz made his way to New York/New Jersey to attend the Falcons game vs. the New York Jets.

For those who know Alesantoz, him being named the first Atlanta Falcons International Fan of the Year is no surprise. He puts in countless hours as he continues to build and expand the Falcons fan base in Germany. He creates high-quality content for the Atlanta Falcons Germany social media platforms and the Talk UP! Podcast.

His fandom is nearing 20 years, and there are no signs that he will be slowing down any time soon. Once it's announced that the Falcons will play for the first time in Germany, the Atlanta Falcons Germany Fan Club will play in big part in the events that will be taking place. In the meantime, he will be preparing for his attendance at the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. He is excited about the unique opportunity he has to represent the Falcons at one of the NFL's premier events.