December 2011
4 posts
Frohe Weihnachten, Brothers.
A Christmas Truce.
One World Cup and two World Wars, the English say. They forget that, in footballing terms, the First World War was a victory for Germany. Not only did the non-autocratic government that followed military defeat lead to a growth in popularity for the “English”, working class game of soccer, but even as early as 1914, the Germans were demonstrating their apparently inherent...
Racism and Romance: Luis Suárez and the Pokal.
Those T-Shirts.
“Luis Suárez is not a racist”, says Pepe Reina. His manager, moreover, declares that “nothing is going to split this club in two.” It would seem that the naivete of those on Merseyside knows no bounds.
Reina’s defence of his team mate is hardly surprising. In its own way it is almost appropriate. It chimes with Dalglish’s insistence that the recent racism scandal will...
Subjective Realities and Magathian Principles.
British coverage of the Champions League “disaster”.
Was there ever a more thrilling, heart wrenching epic than The Tragedy of Manchester? How could we bear to watch, as the two most beloved teams in England were hurled so heartlessly from the competition that is their divine right? Adrian Chiles, for one, declared that he might take up watching darts instead, so painful was the...
UEFA: Dastardly draws and curious coefficients.
Germany’s “Group of Death”
Uli Hoeness didn’t seem to think it was a problem. Neither did Franz Beckenbauer. Nor Matthias Sammer, Theo Zwanziger or even Jogi Loew. The general consensus in Germany prior to the Euro 2012 draw, in fact, was that it was utterly irrelevant who the Nationalelf were pitted against in their opening three games. They could beat anyone at all.
As...
