Me as a fan of the German football national team and a part of the "Fan-Group"
In my Coursework, which is about me as a football fan & as a part of a group of a fan of the German football national team, I want you to show how incredibly amazing it can be, when x-millions of people, in this case fans, forget their environment, their anger, their fears etc. for 90 minutes. In 2006 was the football world cup in Germany and I will use this as the example in my work. I also want to talk about how this world cup helped Germany to present themselves as the complete differences of Nazis. Some people in various countries still think, that the German people still idolize Adolf Hitler. In the end I will show you how football and the World Cup 2006 influenced and maybe changed my whole life.
1. Introduction - History:
Since the 23.August.1991 Germany has got the national anthem we are singing today. We wanted to leave the horrible past behind us, because the old national anthem was used during the first and second world war when Hitler was our leader. Today we are just singing the third stampa of the old national anthem.
Today you do not really listen to the national anthem, except from sport and thus football events. 70.000 people singing the German national anthem before the football game against Poland during the world cup 2006. You can really feel, that the Germans are proud to be, what they are in this moment - a fan of the German national team:
National Anthem of Germany - Heebie-jeebies
Even if our today's Policy is Democracy, the complete distinction to dictatorship and even if Germany already did and still does a lot for ditching the Nazi-Image, quite a lot non-Germans convict us to be Nationalists.
According to this the motto for the world cup 2006 was: "The world hosted by friends". It should have showed, that Germany already changed. Nearly everyone said, that Germany was a great host for this World Cup and not for nothing the president of the FIFA, (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Sepp Blatter, called the World Cup in Germany: "The best World Cup ever."
2. Me, Myself and Football:
My name is Fabian Peter, I am 17 years old, I am living in Berlin and I played football for about 9 years. When I was 5 I went to the kinder garden, just like every child in this age does. Every single day me and my friends played football when we were allowed to go out, even when it rained. When I was 6 I joined a football club and played there for 5 years, but did I really play because I loved the game or did I just play because all of the other children did? At this time I just went in for sports, because I was really bored at home, but I did not realize, that football was my big passion. I realized that, when I was 7 and Germany played against Croatia in the Quarter Finals during the World Cup 1998. They lost 3:0 and I cried horribly, but I did not know why. I can remember this day as clearly, as it would have been yesterday. When I think about that today, I know the reason, which is very comprehensible. After that I was nuts about football. In 2002 Germany played against Brasil in the Final of this years' World Cup, but unfortunately we lost 2:0.
Here I have got some old picture:
1997:
Yes, I always made those grimaces. I still know the other guys and some of them became really good football players. They could play football as professionals.1999:
Me playing football in 1999 at the so called "Adidas-Cup"2001:
I had one of the best moments in 2001, when I was allowed to meet Marcelinho, who was the star of my hometown club Hertha BSC Berlin.3. World Cup 2006 in Germany:
I always asked my parents, if they could try to get some World Cup tickets, but it was just by the way, because I knew, that they very unbelievably expensive. When I already gave it up to get some tickets, I had my youth dedication and crazy, just as my parents are, but in a positive way, my present was 6 World Cup-Tickets. To be honest - it was the first and single time I cried because of happiness. I did never understand people crying not because of sadness or pain, but in this moment I did. We went to the games Brazil-Croatia (1:0) and Sweden-Paraguay (1:0).
3.1 The progress of the German national team during the World Cup 2006:
Franz Beckenbauer, one of the best football players in the history of Germany, brought the World Cup 2006 to Germany. It was one of the greatest moments in the history of Germany and it should have been the best World Cup ever!
Before the first game against Costa Rica, the German team was everything else than the big favorite for the title. But after the first victory and the marvelous last minute win against Poland, the people in Germany started to believe in their team. Feel the magic:
Goal of Oliver Neuville in the 91st minute against Poland
DONE! After the last victory in the group against Ecuador and the following win over Sweden in the round of the last 16, the German team had to play against the favorite for the cup title, Argentina. After 90 and 120 minutes the result was 1:1, so there had to be the decisive and dramatic penalty shoot-out.
Germany was in front with 4:3 - the last penalty taker of Argentina was Cambiasso and this happened...
Lehmann our hero...
We were in the semi-Finals against Italy and by the time the German people, if they were a fan of football or not, discovered a corporate feeling, which I have never seen before. We won and we lost together. It was quite normal to have the national flag on their cars, hanging out of the window or on the wall at home - and I am very proud, that I was part of the group, the group of being a fan of the German national team, even if we lost against Italy in the semi-Finals.
3.2 The follow-up:
This tournament changed a lot! All of the people, who had prejudices about Germany, because of Hitler, were disabused that they should not do so, until they have not meet German people or until they have not been to Germany. Germany and the people here, gained the experience, that they can work as a unit, when it is necessary and that is really important.
For me personally it was the event of the decade. From the World Cup 2006 on, I watched every single game of the German national team, even here in England. After the World Cup has finished, it was the same with the European Cup in 2008, I felt really nostalgic and I look forward to the World Cup in 2010.
4. What I learned about myself / Conclusion:
- After all these wins, defeats, lucky moments, sad moments etc. I know, that football and sport is my life
- I have confidence in the German people, that we can work as a unit
To answer the question, if football changed my life, I have to say: Yes it did! I was a passionate football player and today I love to watch football. I also have to say, that you do not get a football fan just because of you, it is caused by your whole environment. For me the key factors were my parents, who always supported me and got me the tickets for the World Cup. Because of my uncle I was able to go to my favorite club FC Barcelona and watch the game FC Barcelona - Real Madrid, the so called "El classico". The game ends 3:3, three goals of the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, one red card and one penalty. These events intensify my love to the football.
To refer to the World Cup 2006 again, I have to say, that the organisation of the tournament was great. There were a lot of "Public-Veawing"- places in Germany, where you could watch the games with tousands of other people together. The biggest one was the "Fanmeile" in Berlin, where over one million people stoud side by side, just as a family. Football connects and I am proud to be a part of this group.
Fabian Peter, 2009
