An Old International

A Foreigner as England Manager? Never!

The news that Thomas Tuchel will be the England manager come January 1, 2025, has caused a wave of comments that are bordering on the ludicrous, while others at least take into consideration the state of international football. This is a first and brief thought about the fact that a German will be in charge of the English men’s football national team.

the image shows an elderly man with a pipe; he is wearing a blackish jacket and a hat of the same colour; in red written is the question: a foreigner as England manager? never.

The English Football Association took several months to find a permanent successor for Gareth Southgate who retired following the Euros2024. His interim successor Lee Carsley was said to be never quite happy with the role. Therefore, the FA acted and scoured the market to find a person with the right attitude and credentials to take on a job that many consider as impossible. In order to succeed you have to be thick-skinned, bloody-minded to the point of being stubborn and excellent at coaching at the highest level. Trophies are, of course, a vital ingredient. With these parameters, it is clear that not many English coaches or no English manager at all would be appointed. This does not mean that they were not interviewed and that the FA has not given English or British managers the preference for the post. However, as the Daily Telegraph reports, two outstanding English candidates were not interviewed: Eddie Howe and Graham Potter. Now this raises some questions.

However, in appointing Tuchel, the FA has done what English clubs have been doing for a long time: hiring the best talent available. With the advent of the Premier League and the ensuing nouveau riches, this meant almost plundering foreign leagues. And this is not only a trait common with the Premier League but something found throughout modern British and English history: to look for the best and to secure an advantage over the rivals by hiring it.

None other than Gary Lineker has phrased it succinctly:

“If you can’t beat them, sign them”

However, this is not yet finished and further research into the coverage and the wider consequences is currently underway. To be continued…

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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.

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 at the end of the 1966 World Cup.

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riding through the storm

Who marches so late through the night dark and drear?
It’s Germany’s team, for Euro 2024 they steer.

Erlkoenig Schwind
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 match against Denmark in Dortmund.

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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 nothing wrong with a sponsorship deal in general, there is some problem here, nonetheless.

While announcing the deal, the CEO of Dortmund, Aki Watzke has stated that this deal should also contribute to a wider discussion about security in and for society. In other words, he and his club intend to initiate a debate that is best left to politicians and those who have an idea about security, espeically in an international context. Because the national security of Germany or any other country for that matter, is NOT the main business of any football club.

While it is undeniable that sport and politics are intermingled, the governing bodies of the sport staunchly claim otherwise. Football has become the biggest show on earth and it is undoubtedly political. Any attempt to state the opposite sounds ridiculous.

The so-called West and its state model of liberal democracy have been vocal critics of countries that (mis-) use sports in order to re-create a new, a better image for themselves. The allegation of sportswashing has been levelled repeatedly against these countries. The most recent and obvious example for this was Qatar, the host country for the 2022 World Cup. Somewhat closer to home, Bayern have been brandishing adverts for Qatar Airways on their shirts between 2018 and 2023. The deal between Dortmund and Rheinmetall is nothing but sportswashing for the arms manufacturer.

According to some German news outlets, the fans have only been informed and not been involved in the discussions, which leaves them feeling snubbed and used as a fig leave. Additionally, the timing could not have been worse. By accounincg the sponsorship agreement just days before the biggest of the past decade for the club, the board surely must have hoped that the waves this may cause will go unseen and maybe remain unremarked. This horrendously backfired and Dortmund look as though they have exposed themselves and have been disgraced.

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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. Read more →