Friday June 11th 2021
Euphoria only in Wattenscheid?
A soccer championship that doesn’t feel good
By Tobias Nordmann
Perhaps not everyone has noticed: In the evening, the European football championship will kick off in Rome. Yes indeed. But how does it actually come that you really have to remember that it starts. There used to be joy, euphoria. And now?
In Wattenscheid-Höntrop it is there, at least a little, the anticipation of the European Championship. Small Germany flags are stuck in the flower boxes on two balconies. Usually they are not there. A few meters, still in the same street, a Germany garland hangs on the balcony. Usually it doesn’t hang there. But these are special times. Because on this Friday evening it will be kicked off. The European Football Championship 2020. Or 2021. Whatever you want. Somehow both are correct. And somehow neither matter.
Yes, actually, somehow this major tournament (so far) has been accompanied by a noticeable indifference. Why is that? Sure, sure about the pandemic with all its effects and restrictions. The national teams are isolated, intangible. For nobody. Players get infected anyway. Special vaccination campaigns are supposed to help. Corona reserve cadres are already being formed preventively in some places. Fan parties are only allowed on a small scale, but at least they are allowed. But can they really be carefree? In the beer garden, in the living room, in your own garden? The Federal Minister of Health recommends: “Keep your distance, wear masks and drink as little alcohol as possible.” And then there is the mode. 24 teams, eleven venues – in terms of infection protection (the delta variant that is rampant in Great Britain is the keyword) and sustainability (climate protection), that’s not all.
Many people will no longer be able to hear that. You won’t want to hear it anymore. You want to be able to enjoy life again. As before. With football. With friends. With delicacies from the grill and from the fridge. But is it responsible to pull the lever on the old normal? And anyway: is this EM good for it? One question that you can use to test your anticipation is: Which two teams will open the tournament in Rome that evening? Compliments, who knows Italy will play against Turkey (from 9 p.m. there is the start in the live ticker at ntv.de). Small taster for the (still) unsuspecting: Both teams are very ambitious and are considered by experts as candidates for the quarter-finals. Or more.
Seville and St. Petersburg, that’s absurd
Really in the EM fever, however, is only those who cleared the Saturday afternoon to watch the second tournament game. Wales welcomes Switzerland at 3 p.m. In Baku. It all sounds pretty absurd somehow. And that’s it. In Germany there is a heated argument about how many cents the price of petrol should be increased by, who can and must do how much climate protection and where. And in Europe, teams fly across the continent from game to game. Exceptions like the DFB team confirm the rule. National coach Joachim Löw’s team will only play in Munich for the time being. But are there really good reasons why Group A (teams see above) have to play in Rome AND Baku? Why do Group E teams have to commute between Seville and St. Petersburg? The venues are almost 4500 kilometers apart!
Nobody should let their anticipation of this tournament be taken away. If he can feel it. Not even through this text. And the EM could actually be really exciting. Also because of the national team, which is still stuck under the “dark clouds”, which DFB director Oliver Bierhoff had vehemently complained about last year. The long way back from alienation to emotional rapprochement is not a successful sprint through a fan-like press conference (nice idea in any case). It is almost a little tragic that the DFB repeatedly straddles itself on its way to being more down-to-earth. The fact that well-intentioned actions like the Qatar protests by the players subsequently turn out to be not as spontaneous as they were sold, but accompanied by glossy PR, is simply naive. And whether Bierhoff’s commitment to wanting to pay the 400,000 euro title premium per player (!) Is a successful detour towards down-to-earthness and humility? Cautiously suspected, such sentences trigger more brass than enthusiasm.
U21 and the DEB team show how enthusiasm works
Disarming the gigantonomy of experience, reducing football to football, that would be the path that promises success. Incidentally, this does not only apply to the DFB. That applies even more to Uefa, which, regardless of the Corona situation, made fans in the stadium the conditions for the host cities. With such absurd characteristics that 14,000 spectators can enter the stadium in Munich and around 67,000 in Budapest! Despite the pandemic, which of course is still rampant in Hungary. Even if the incidence fell sharply, after the megapeak of just under 700 at the end of March. Uefa was still very fond of their dreams. Incidentally, Budapest is said to be the only stadium with full capacity.
Less gigantonomy, that also applies to Fifa and to all the megalomaniacs who believe that the Super League will save football. How easy it is sometimes to spark enthusiasm without any frills, just with passion and joy, that has only just been shown by two German teams. The U21, who euphorized themselves with an impressive team spirit for the European Championship. And the ice hockey players who “sacrificed” themselves for success. Regardless of yourself. That you narrowly missed a medal at the World Cup in Riga, the brutal end of a fairy tale.
Passion, joy, victim mentality, those would be things that one would also want from the “big” DFB-Elf. With the EM returnees Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels there are at least two strong protagonists who can trigger emotions with their actions. Hummels with his hero slides. And Müller with his chat, with his sneaking, with his mischievousness. It may be a good thing that Germany is all about everything in the preliminary round. Against France with all its superstars. Against Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo and his top ensemble. Against Hungary, who shouldn’t be underestimated either. Either the EM is over very quickly. Or the mood suddenly becomes euphoric. Not just in Wattenscheid.
Well, now have fun. Stay healthy.
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