Article Archives ⋆ An Old International

black, red, yellow

Anniversaries come in intervals and make us look back and reminisce about events past, either long past or not so long. The World Cup of 2006 is such an event to look back and remember the summer that shaped an entire generation of football fans. The so-called summer fairy tale of 2006, by not we…

to boycott or to not boycott

Lovers of football will surely look forward to the World Cup kicking off on June 11, however. They may also be bewildered, enraged even, about the scenes which have played out on their screens and have been shared multiple times over. The Senegalese national team were almost strip searched upon arrival, the African referee of…

Paris, Football, Violence

Hear The SirensPearl Jam, „Sirens“ (2013) There were sirens galore in Paris during the Champions League final. Here’s an attempt to explain why. The football stadium is a double tragedy, writes the French anthropologist Éric Wittersheim in a study about the supporters of Paris Saint-Germain, PSG. Firstly, it is a social tragedy as people who…

the climax

It’s May 8 and Magdeburg celebrate their biggest triumph: winning the Cup Winners’ Cup against AC Milan in 1974 in Rotterdam.

work to be done

It’s late March, almost April and the football season enters its decisive phase; it is now that the routes to silverware, promotion, a safe mid-table finish or relegation are paved. Those clubs at the top will look forward to claim the title, while those at the bottom will work hard to avoid the drop at…

The Forgotten Match: England v Germany, Wembley, February 1966

With the 60th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup mere months away, it is time to remind readers that England had played West Germany twice in 1966: once in February and the other match was the World Cup final in July 1966. The 1960s: decade of renewal In 1966 everything had the air of being…

60 years and a little bit wiser

Compared to the development of football since the late 1870s, 60 years is not a long time, let alone would it be seen as old age. However, considering the twists and turns of history, 60 years can be a long time. Taking into account that within the first decade of its existence, Magdeburg had won…

Cretinous

If you ever needed proof that FIFA has become a farce, watch this clip. The person who has posted this, sincerely believes in what he has written in his tweet.

Business is Paramount

It is common knowledge that since 2010 FIFA has left the path of candour and become a corrupt organisation. This may have been the case before, but in December 2010, it became clear to the wider public that the core of this organisation is rotten. In contrast UEFA has held out against this trend. Until…

No remorse? No job!

News broke late last week, over the weekend that Jerôme Boateng is about to return to Bayern Munich to gather work experience as a coach. While this is laudable as he has won a few trophies throughout his career, the news nonetheless sheds a dubious light on the club and poses serious questions to German…