Ferdinand was abandoned as an infant by his parents in the forest. There he was found by a homosexual couple. Ludwig (called "Laila") and Harry adopted him. Ferdinand was strongly influenced by his adoptive parents. As a young man, he is an outsider due to his potty behavior.

The documentary Schwarze Adler (Black Eagles) lets black players of the German national football team tell their personal stories for the first time. What road did they take before they got to where we cheer for them? What hurdles did they have to overcome? What prejudices and racist hostility were they exposed to – and what was it like in the past, what is it like today?