Football god

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Football god (also spelled football god ) is a term used in sports journalism and football jargon with two different meanings: On the one hand, the personal use, which refers to individual players, sometimes also to coaches, according to the assessment of sports reporters or the audience To be able to “play football like gods” and to succeed in everything on the pitch.

In a further level of meaning, the designation stands - mostly in an emotionalized powerless situation or expressed ironically - for "a higher level of football on a metaphysical level [...], which especially cares for compensatory justice" or - when invoked before a game - should provide, but not always do.

background

Precisely because there are often tight and unexpected victories or defeats in football, sports presenters, coaches, players, club managers and fans find themselves in need of explanation in the short time available and shift responsibility for the outcome of the game to the god of football, among others .

According to Emile Durkheim, the use of rituals in football and in a religious environment is seen as a very similarly functioning confirmation of a collective. Likewise, ancient cults and modern sport have parallels in magical and religious rituals, rites and the use of terms. The parallels also extend to modern religious practices and ideas. The concept of God is also used in the "sensational rhetoric of the media" to elevate or dramatize in the form of a "football god". An exaggerated claim to performance in sport, which is also reflected in the idolatry or exaggerated individual emphasis on individual top athletes, was already rejected in the 19th century in view of the Olympic movement by both cultural critics and the Christian side. The Protestant theologian Helmut Thielicke warned in 1966 in connection with competitive sport, where the “ superman ” was cultivated, the “monster” was not far.

Adored soccer players?

In the German-speaking world, one of the most well-known media names for a player as "football god" took place in the 1954 World Cup final in Bern . In the first eight minutes of the first half, the German goalkeeper Toni Turek owed a goal for the Hungarians , but improved and defended his goal with extraordinary saves. Radio reporter Herbert Zimmermann commented on one of them that contributed to the so-called miracle of Bern :

“ Buzánszky tries to use Kocsis . Kocsis can't get the ball. The Hungarian defenders have to move up a long way, now they lift the ball into the German penalty area - shot! - Defense from Turek! Turek, you are a devil! Turek, you are a football god! "

The use of the word "football god" made waves; Church representatives reprimanded them and the then Federal President Theodor Heuss stated: “With all the enthusiasm, this is going too far.” Zimmermann was appointed to the manager in charge and once again had to apologize publicly for his blasphemous choice of words. It was discussed whether Zimmermann should continue to work as a sports reporter. In addition to the “Heroes of Bern”, the name “football gods” was occasionally transferred to the entire team.

In the decades that followed, players were referred to several times as the “football god”, in Germany, for example, in choruses Jürgen Kohler or Alex Meier , in Switzerland Marc Zellweger (over 500 games for FC St. Gallen in 14 seasons) or Erich Hänzi ( at BSC Young Boys ) and in Austria Hans Krankl after two goals in Córdoba at the 1978 World Cup in a 3-2 win against the German national soccer team .

From 2004 Guido Schröter published the comic series Football Gods , which appeared in the Saturday edition of the Süddeutsche Zeitung . At the 2006 World Cup , the 2008 European Football Championship and the 2010 World Cup , the series appeared daily in various newspapers and, in summary, comic albums were also published under the same title.

Even second, third or regional league clubs occasionally use the term “football god” for a particularly popular and successful local soccer hero . Although women's football has gained a greater presence in the media in recent years, the use of the term “football goddess” is not well established.

Correspondences of the term “football god” are also known in non-German-speaking countries and are used in the media, such as the Danish fodboldgud and American English soccer god . In French there is le (semi-) dieu du foot (ball) ("the [half] god of football"), in Japanese the term kami is used in general for a god and can also refer to people who work in their field are outstanding. In Spanish , el dios del fútbol refers to outstanding players (e.g. Lionel Messi ).

Associated terms

Footprint of a “flank god” on the “Walk of Fame” in front of the Hamburg Volksparkstadion

Superhuman, (half) godlike, mythological elevation of people can be found in other sports journalistic uses

"Flankengott": This term is used for a player that is characterized in that it often as the lead in a game at exactly the right time and technically perfect pass from the right or left side crosses that the striker by the possibility get to score goals. The Briton David Beckham and the Germans Rüdiger Abramczik , Manfred Kaltz and Reinhard "Stan" Libuda received this designation from fans and in the media.

"Rehakles": After the German soccer coach Otto Rehhagel led the Greek national soccer team completely unexpectedly to the first and so far only European championship title at the Euro 2004 in Portugal, the media gave him the nickname "Rehakles", in German an anagram of Herakles (Hercules), Son of Zeus , who mastered twelve almost unsolvable tasks. In Greek , the suitcase word for Rehakles - Ρεχακλής was used, formed from Ότο Ρεχ άγκελ and Ηρ ακλής .

"El Salvador" ('the Redeemer'), Dutch. de verlosser , also with allusion to the initials J.C. His name was the name Johan Cruyff received from the media in the Catalan city of Barcelona after he led FC Barcelona back to the championship in 1974 as the team's idea generator and motivator after 14 years and made a significant contribution to it this year, Real Madrid in the home stadium To beat Santiago Bernabéu 0-5.

Gloves of a "goalkeeper titan"

“Goalkeeper Titan”: The titans of Greek mythology were giants in human form and a powerful family of gods - the Greek word τιταίνω titainō means “to stretch”. This designation as "goalkeeper titan" is mainly associated with the long-time German national goalkeeper Oliver Kahn , but is occasionally used for other goalkeepers as well.

Body parts of players can also be included in this exaggeration ( pars pro toto ) .

The "football god" - a metaphysical football authority?

According to Kreutzer, there is no consensus among the callers of the "mythical media-constructed football god [it]" as to whether he "[is] a just God who acts according to comprehensible ethical criteria (better performance, fairer team, [...])" or whether they “proceed from an arbitrary god whose favor does not follow any ethics or logic”. In a 2003 survey, several professional soccer players agreed that there was a "god of soccer" ("I think there is. You get rewarded when you work hard when you step on the gas").

During the 2006 soccer world championship in Germany, then Bishop Margot Käßmann denied a "soccer god" and emphasized that God was "free of associations". Oliver Kahn also emphasized that God is not specific to football, but is there for all Christians. The Archbishop of Berlin, Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki , expressed that there is no such thing as a “football god”, but “only winners or losers”. Sports prelate Karlheinz Summerer sees the repeated evocation of a "football god" as "completely inappropriate" and referred to the first of the ten commandments ( Ex 20.2  EU ). Who as a Christian knows about the love of God , who trusts in it and believes in it, does not bind himself to any gods.

As at the end of the Bundesliga season 2000/01 , in the last game against Schalke 04 of FC Bayern München but won at the last minute for the 16th time the German championship, it was felt by fans and officials of the association as a great injustice and disappointment . The then Schalke manager Rudi Assauer said: “As of today, I no longer believe in the god of football.” The Munich evening newspaper countered this “heartbeat finale” with “God is a Bavarian!” And before the following Champions League final (that too was won by FC Bayern Munich) advised the Bild newspaper : "Football god, put on your lederhosen!"

In May 2012, for the final of the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League in Munich, a TV advertisement was broadcast over several days in which the Our Father was paraphrased and accompanied by football scenes. The Evangelical Church in Germany and the Evangelical Regional Bishop of Bavaria Heinrich Bedford-Strohm protested.

In October 2006, Die Welt published a gloss on the premiere of the film Germany. A summer fairy tale (director Sönke Wortmann ) in the style of the Old Testament : “The first book of Franz […] In the beginning there was chaos. Darkness lay over Germany ”.

Takeover in book titles

literature

  • Ansgar Kreutzer : work and leisure. Studies on a theology of everyday life. (= Forum Religion & Social Culture. Department A: Profiles and Projects. Vol. 19). Lit-Verlag, Münster 2011, ISBN 978-3-643-50122-6 .
  • Marco Nadler: Football & Religion. A documentary inventory. GRIN Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-640-13400-7 (thesis in the cultural studies department of the University of Regensburg).
  • Benjamin Reimold: The religious dimension of the sport of football and its importance for schools. GRIN Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-638-05387-7 .
  • Christian Schütte: Match winners and unlucky ones. Declaration of results in football coverage in radio, internet, television and print media (= sports journalism. Vol. 4). Lit-Verlag, Hamburg et al. 2006, ISBN 3-8258-0008-3 (also: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 2006).
  • Werner Raupp : Toni Turek - "football god". A biography. Arete Verlag, Hildesheim 2019, ISBN 978-3-96423-008-9 , esp. Pp. 124–128; see. also pp. 107-112.

Web links

Wiktionary: Football God  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Ansgar Kreutzer: Work and leisure . 2011.
  2. ^ Christian Schütte: Matchwinners and unlucky ones. 2006.
  3. ^ Christian Schütte: Matchwinners and unlucky ones. 2006, p. 361 .
  4. ↑ Marco Nadler: Football & Religion. 2008, p. 152.
  5. ↑ Marion Müller: Football as a paradox of modernity: On the importance of ethnic, national and gender differences in professional football , Springer-Verlag, May 14, 2009.
  6. ↑ Erik Zyber: Between Abseits and Jenseits , Zeit-Online , February 19, 2007.
  7. ^ A b Marco Nadler: Football & Religion. 2008, p. 20, chapter 1.2.2: Parallels between religion and football.
  8. ^ Benjamin Reimold: The religious dimension of the sport of football and its importance for schools . 2008.
  9. ↑ Franciska Bohl: Parallels between football and religion  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Evangelical Community Gazette for Württemberg, June 11, 2006.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.evangelisches-gemeindeblatt.de  
  10. ↑ a b Henning Eichberg : The change in sport is social: historical behavior research in discussion: discussion volume, LIT Verlag, Münster 1990, p. 24 ff.
  11. ↑ Stefanie Dietsch: Words and Phraseologisms of Football Reportage on the Radio - A Diachronic Comparison. ( Memento of the original from October 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. GRIN Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-640-53872-0 (diploma thesis in the German studies course in the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies at Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.fussball-kultur.org
  12. ^ ZDF film document of the Tureks Parade and the radio commentary Zimmermann in the YouTube portal , accessed on November 25, 2012.
  13. ↑ Sebastian Schneemelcher: The history of the FRG in history lessons based on the football world championships in 1954, 1974 and 1990 . GRIN Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-638-93716-0 .
  14. ↑ Hessischer Rundfunk, Mischa Ehrhardt: Football Worlds (3) - Holy Lawn and Football Gods , April 29, 2006.
  15. ↑ Marco Nadler: Football & Religion. 2008, p. 159 .
  16. ^ Soup cubes for football gods , book review in Spiegel No. 10, March 7, 1994.
  17. ↑ Erich Hänzi, the Young Boys football god - He has already experienced a lot with YB. Retrieved on June 13, 2019 (Swiss Standard German).
  18. ↑ Stern Magazin, Volume 55, 2002, Gruner & Jahr: Football God Remains Football God .
  19. ↑ Den letkøbte fodboldgud , Berlingske Online, June 11, 2010.
  20. ↑ An Earthly Realm for a Soccer God , The New York Times, November 3, 2008.
  21. ↑ La prensa alemana se rinde ante Messi el “Dios del fútbol” , La Razón, March 8, 2012.
  22. ↑ Jürgen Krönig: Shopping and Kicking - Who has more power over David Beckham - his wife Victoria or Manchester United? Die Zeit, March 9, 2000.
  23. ↑ a b Eckhard Meinberg: Physical education in technical civilization. About dealing with the body (= education - sport culture - philosophy. Vol. 3). Lit-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2011, ISBN 978-3-643-11001-5 , p. 79 .
  24. ↑ This designation was so popular that in 2004 the Society for German Language listed it among the candidates for the word of the year .
  25. ^ According to A. Kreutzer: Arbeit und Muße. In 2011, the Salzburger Nachrichten wrote on June 19, 2004: “a fusion of the Greek demigod and German thoroughness”.
  26. ↑ Rotterdammers feliciteren Johan Cruijff (65) , Geenstijl Online, April 25, 2012.
  27. ^ The Art of Floating , Die Zeit, November 8, 2001.
  28. ↑ Hertha hot on Vogts' goalkeeper titan ( memento of the original from June 1, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , BZ-Online, May 29, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bz-berlin.de
  29. ↑ Four penalties saved. Daniel Klewer - Germany's new goalkeeper titan , RP-Online, December 21, 2006.
  30. ↑ “It was a bit of Maradona's head and a bit of God's hand.” (Spanish: un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios) Spiegel Online, Maradona Celebrates 20th Anniversary of “Hand of God” Goal , Spiegel Online International, June 23, 2006 (English).
  31. ^ Front page of Marca, January 31, 2010 .
  32. ↑ Cristiano Ronaldo in Guti's shadow! “Hacke Gottes!” ( Memento of the original from November 24, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , SAZ Aktuell-Online, January 31, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.saz-aktuell.com
  33. ^ Dieter Matz, Jens Meyer-Odewald: Football in Germany. Business or passion? An assessment of the situation before the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Miko-Edition, Hamburg 2003, ISBN 3-935436-11-4 .
  34. ↑ Margot Käßmann: God is free of association , Chrismon.de - The Protestant online magazine , June 2006; accessed on June 23, 2015.
  35. ↑ David Kadel: Football God. Experience reports from the sacred lawn. Updated and expanded new edition, 5th edition. GerthMedien GmbH, Asslar 2006, ISBN 3-86591-027-0 , p. 11.
  36. ↑ BZ, June 14, 2012 What would Jesus say about this? - There is no soccer god, there are only winners or losers ( Memento from February 10, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
  37. ↑ The church is storming against the football god , Rheinische Post Online, May 23, 2001.
  38. ↑ Runner-up FC Schalke - "I no longer believe in the football god" , Spiegel-Online, May 19, 2001.
  39. ↑ ... how we award the referees , Welt-Online, May 17, 2012.
  40. ^ The football god and the DFB , gloss by Tobias Schönpflug, Welt-Online, October 2, 2006.