Upon reading the names of two Arsenal players, a word play was the order of the day.
With Jesus leading the charge and Heaven rising behind him, Arsenal’s future looks truly divine.
All Posts by Christoph
More “WE”, Less “I”
Football is often overburdened with social problems that are not easily solved even in society. Football is a mirror of society and as such works as a prism for the workings of the people.
In a rare moment of fragility, the German national coach Julian Nagelsmann had to fight back his tears after his team lost to Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Euros. It was a little sentence delivered almost at the end of his press conference that reverberated through the night.
He spoke of society in need of more “We” moments than “I”. Yet, way more remarkable was his statement that we need to think more solution oriented than being focused too much on problems. This is a very important point as we, as society, simply need to replace one word with another: not crisis but task for which there is a solution.
Berne, July 4, 1954 – Notes on a perceived Miracle
‘Rahn should shoot from the background. Rahn shoots! Goal! Goal! Goal!’ These words spoken by radio commentator Herbert Zimmermann in the heat of the moment when Helmut Rahn had scored Germany’s third goal during the World Cup final 1954 in Berne are familiar to many Germans and have become cultural icons like Kenneth Wolstenholme’s words…
riding through the storm
Who marches so late through the night dark and drear? It’s Germany’s team, for Euro 2024 they steer. Moritz von Schwind, Erlkönig, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The quote above originates from Johan Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem “Erlkönig”. These two lines are the opening lines of the poem. They are quite fitting to describe Germany’s…
Clouds over Germany
While for many the European Championships will be a festival of football, other thoughts need to be considered, too. Many people will remember the 2006 men’s World Cup held in Germany. It was a tournament accompanied by five weeks of wonderful weather and an atmosphere that surprised hosts and visitors alike. Though the end was…
Dortmund is arming up
The news broke on Tuesday but the deal was signed before, for sure: the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will be one of Dortmund’s sponsors for the following next three years. Even before the Champions League Final at Wembley against Real Madrid, the logo of the company will be visible on advertisement hoardings. While there is…
whatever happened … ?
A little post to say I’m still alive and that things are still running at An Old International. There is an urge to state some obvious things, however. As we reach the halfway mark of 2024, some remarks about writing and the future days of this little enterprise seem appropriate. This year has been slow…
Ideas on Player Ratings
Experience as a teacher includes marking students work and essays. However, not all these works deserve the same weight in the final bulletin. Here are some ideas how to weigh players performances differently. As a teacher it is my task to teach and educate children of different ages in different subject matters: sport and social…
Hostage situation at Parc des Princes is over
It is with great relief that the hostage situation at Parc des Princes has been dissolved without any bloodshed, injuries or other serious consequences. The situation has become untenable over the past few years. Kylian Mbappé was the poster boy of the Parisian team and the squad was built around him; so much so that…
Franz Beckenbauer 1945 – 2024
The story of German could have come quite differently, had not one incident decided the fate of the two Munich clubs, 1860 and Bayern, respectively. As a youngster, Franz Beckenbauer played for a small Munich club in his neighbourhood, Giesing. It was his intention to move to TSV 1860 Munich at some point in his…