Football is a simple game, it has often been said: 22 men separated into two teams try to kick the ball around and score more often than the other team. Based on this simplicity claim, Magdeburg cannot be but described as being awful at it in this division. As it stands, just before the second leg of the season is about to start, Magdeburg find themselves in 17th. spot with a huge task before them. Read more →
Walking backwards into the future
The World Cup 2022 in Qatar ended just as the previous edition in a desaster when the team were eliminated during the group stages of the tournament. It initiated a debate about the national coach, Hansi Flick who fially stayed in office and about the manager and sporting director Oliver Bierhoff. The latter handed in his resignation shortly afterwards forcing the DFB to find a successor. This search ressembles a walk backwards into the future. Read more →
Paris FC v Valenciennes FC, French Cup
The Cup has its own rules, or so goes a proverb as it pitches David v. Goliath and the bigger one not always comes out the winner from the contest. In an even match, Paris FC have shown Valenciennes their limits with an improved second half performance. Read more →
fan culture: all new or swapping one for another?
In an article published in The Guardian, the author claims that England fan culture is changing. This is supported by a statement from Jamie Cleland, an academic who is stating that the trip to Qatar was too expensive for many ordinary England supporters.
“With the World Cup occurring mid-season, close to Christmas, and in a cost of living crisis, it is no surprise to see so many traditional fans stay behind in the UK”
Another academic, Geoff Pearson, adds that England fan
“subculture is predominantly male and predominantly white. Not exclusively male and not exclusively white. But it’s very much laddish behaviour.”
This subculture hasn’t really travelled to Qatar, thus leaving a void for other fans to come and attend games as they normally would not have done because of anxiety towards the predominantly white, male England fans, which normally fills the stands. This is due to tickets being more easily available to fans in Qatar, which has an effect on the outlook of the England fan base.
Pearson adds that tournaments in Europe are easier to travel to, which means that more of the typical England fan subculture attends, either to watch the games or just to be there celebrating.
“In Europe it’s pretty much closed up shop and demand outstrips supply to a great extent.”
In other words: because one England fan subculture hasn’t travelled to Qatar for various reasons, another, a more diverse fan subculture emerges and fills the void. This isn’t fan culture changing, rather one replacing the other. As such the 2022 World Cup may help to change the face of England’s fans.
© image credits: the featured image and the twitter card were shot in 2014 during the World Cup by Gustave Deghilage and can be found on their flickr feed and are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
People in white clothes
The German TV pundit and former player Sandro Wagner has come under fire after a comment on TV in which he called the traditional dress of the Qatari men, the Thawb, a bathrobe. This was insensitive and he has acknowledged his mistake and duly apologized.
This is an example of cultural insensitivity not only by Wagner himself but also his employers, the ZDF, Germany’s second terrestrial broadcaster. To call this a racist remark or even outright racism would be a misappropriation of the term but it is insensitive and though the comment was made in the heat of the moment, i.e. during the match Germany against Spain, it should not have happened in the first place.
It is not surprising therefore that the reaction by the Qatari population and others from the region point at German double standards. On the one hand, the team were holding their hands over their mouths to protest the u-turn by FIFA about the one-love armband, while at the same time commentators and pundits in Germany appear not to have made their home work themselves!
At least the Germans are not alone in their insensitivity as this clip highlights. English football fans dressed up as Crusaders – on the Arab peninsula. They seem to be surprised to have run into trouble.
© image credit: the image used for this post originates from a journal article titled “Making moves: reading Saudi social change through commercial table top games” by Andrew Leber which was published in the Arabian Humanities.
Good writing does not come by chance, so consider a little tip:Stadium 974
In the sea of poison surrounding Qatar 2022, it is difficult if not outright impossible to find a little drop of water. It exists however. Read more →
Whose Culture is it?
Jürgen Klinmann’s remarks about Iran come at a difficult time for the country. He has a point however. Read more →
The Return of the Real Nr 9
In a very good match of football, Germany cam back from one goal down to level the score by Niclas Füllkrug who is an out and out centre forward – a real number nine that has been missing since the retirement of Miroslav Klose.
🤓 #ESPGER pic.twitter.com/gHrsen14Wg
— Olis Cartoons (@OlisCartoons) November 28, 2022
By coincidence this has happened against the team Germany has tried to emulate: Spain. The world champions of 2010 have not played with a centre forward but unlike Germany have the ability to score goals from many positions, which Germany have not done. Too often Germany played AND died in beauty in recent months, offering no poise, no threat, just beauty.
The centre forward has been on fire in the Bundesliga, scoring 9 goals in 11 matches for Werder Bremen and has thus rightly been called up to the national team. Before the tournament, his international career has seen him playing two matches, scoring once; this tally has now been amended to played three, scored twice. Not bad for this gap toothed killer as some have described him.
image info: the cartoon image in the tweet has been drawn by Oli Hilbring, a German cartoonist from Bochum. You may wanna check his website for more original cartoons. The twitter image dates from 2012 and has been taken by Benjamin Radzun – you will find it on his flickr feed. His work has been licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Good writing does not come by chance, so consider a little tip:Paris FC vs. FC Metz, Stade Charléty
Just before football embarks on its enforced prolonged winter break, Paris FC hosted FC Metz in their final match at their home ground. Read more →
Magdeburg v Heidenheim: Patience! Patience!
Late October and Magdeburg still have a mountain to climb in order to stay above the line. Read more →