Weekly Dose 28.2.08
By: Jan | February 28th, 2008- Once Jogi Löw has announced his Euro 2008 squad, it’ll be all downhill for Germany. (Germany Worldcupblog)
- The new DFB.TV video service presents Germany’s way to the Euro 2008. The video ends after the second match against San Marino though. I wonder whether that’s intentional. (DFB.TV)
- A documentary about the English - German football rivalry. (YouTube: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6)
- The referees didn’t do a particularly stelar job in the Bundesliga lately, so if Italy want them, they can have them. (Reuters Soccer Blog)
- Mladen Petric, Hamit Altintop and Dieter Hecking have all been interviewed by Deutsche Welle recently. (Bundesliga Kick off!)
- The weekly Honigstein Bundesliga column. (Guardian sportblog)
- The weekly Bundesbag Bundesliga column. (Bundesbag)
Category: 1. Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern Munich, Hannover 96, International, National Team
Tags: 1. Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, Dieter Hecking, England, FC Bayern Munich, Germany, Hamit Altintop, Hannover 96, International, Mladen Petric, National Team, RivalrySubscribe
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Jan, thanks! Especially for the links regarding to the English-German football rivalry.
As I do support both national teams (I know I will be hearing even more reminders in leading up to the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland this June that England didn’t qualify…), it’s a real eye-opener. I have to admit, it was the World Cup two years ago in your country which made me first started to take notice of the German national team under then-coach Juergen Klinsmann. I know I almost cried when Germany was out in the semi-finals (it even marked the first time in me almost crying over a sporting event) and that was when it finally hit me…I do like the German national team too.
All along growing up in a household with a father who follows the Premier League and supports the England national team (and with him yes, grumbling about England not good at penalties whenever each World Cup comes along), that was how initially I support England until the summer of 2006 where Germany also came into the picture as well.
From then on, especially the August 22 friendly last year at the Wembley was the first time I had split loyalties. Since the end of the World Cup, I had looked forward to two of the national teams I support come together for a match (friendlies or not) but in the end…I felt neither happy nor sad at the final result. 2-1 to Germany but in the end, I was void of feelings. Okay, key players from both sides were ruled out before the friendly but then still, it’s England versus Germany. Much had been said about the football rivalry between the two sides and I am aware of that.
‘it’ll be all downhill for Germany.’
Jan, actually for some reason, I am fearing for this happening come this June. Germany is among the favourites. It’s a fact which I can prove it.
I remembered in one of the newspapers here ahead of the Euro 2008 draw in Lucerne last year, polled the readers on a number of questions and one of those regarding the Euro 2008 which stood out for me was that a majority seeing Germany as among the favourites to win it. There were other questions being polled like who we think will be the dark horses and which national teams are we looking forward to see in the tournament. It was a little of a surprise to read my fellow Singaporeans who took part in the poll (I wasn’t aware of it because if I do, I would had taken part in it as well) is backing Germany (and a few others which I can’t remember now) to be among the favourites. And this is despite we don’t get all of Germany’s qualifying matches on the pay-TV here. Like a couple of matches (and both times involving Germany and Cyprus, which I don’t understand why) were not on here. Much less the Bundesliga in the beginning. I had always actually depend on streaming from the Internet to get my Bundesliga fix since the end of the 2006 World Cup…other than the Premier League where it’s on pay-TV here (which my father do subscribe to it). Goodness knows when we will ever get the Bundesliga coverage here like our neighbours like in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia (even China has Bundesliga coverage!) for example. I know those countries do have it. We have the other major leagues from Spain, Italy (even the Dutch, French leagues) on our TV here. While the Serie A may be the only one on free-to-air and the rest on pay-TV like the Premier League, I don’t know when it comes to the Bundesliga, nothing.
Phew. End of my soapbox.
Posted from
Singapore
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“I know I will be hearing even more reminders in leading up to the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland this June that England didn’t qualify…”
Only because it’s the truth.;-)
Although, I usually only do that sort of thing out of tradition. I like the English and I don’t just say that to keep Dave happy and motivated.
Interesting to read how someone from Singapore ends up following the Bundesliga and the German national team.:-) Maybe you get lucky and a TV station starts to broadcast the odd Bundesliga match as well.
Posted from
United States -
Hope so, Jan.
Back then in the newspaper poll regarding Euro 2008, I even realised there are those who are Bayern Munich and Germany fans who wrote in on their thoughts of Euro 2008 and the national teams involved. Amazing, given the best chance of watching Bayern here is when they are in the Champions League (which they are not in at the moment). Bayern’s UEFA Cup matches so far had only been on the pay-TV here once (and that is when they play Red Star Belgrade). The other Bundesliga clubs also in the UEFA Cup had been on the pay-TV before like a couple of times or something.
One of the newspapers here do have a weekly Q&A column in the weekends where whatever questions about football (English, European-related) from readers are being passed on to the presenter who grace our pay-TV screens each weekend when it comes to preview Premier League matches. In one of those past columns I read, I got a surprise when a reader asked if there is a chance we will get to see Bundesliga football on our TV screens here. And the presenter replied something like of every few years, selected countries get the license to broadcast Bundesliga matches. Or something like that he replied. That is what making me hopeful.
Don’t know what will make the pay-TV provider here change their mind. Juergen Klinsmann? The new Bayern Munich coach come this July used to play for Tottenham Hotspur. Here the media coverage on football is mainly on the Premier League and less on what’s happening in Spain and Italy, and I was thinking - Klinsmann has Premier League ‘connections’ himself.
And people still remembered he was a ‘diver’ back then (which I read later on he’s not).Other than that, I occasionally secretly swear the newspapers here do like German football somehow (or maybe it’s my own thinking). Secretly admiring how the German national team are doing well and England…yeah. Germany’s performance during the World Cup two years ago almost like got the newspapers here wishing that is how England doing as well. We were once a British colony and so it’s like if England ever achieve something major like winning a World Cup again, it’s the next best thing for us to celebrate…halfway across the world.
‘Interesting to read how someone from Singapore ends up following the Bundesliga and the German national team.:-)’
Thanks.
The World Cup two years ago was how it started. From back only looking forward to always see how Juergen Klinsmann reacted on the touchline if there’s a Germany goal being scored (because he is always so hyperactive or something), to casually saying that I rather see Germany play…and ended up almost crying when they lost to Italy (that was only hours later when it really hit me Germany will not be in the final). After the World Cup, then starting to read more of the Bundesliga and German football in general. Before that, I only know mainly about Bayern Munich and how they are like one of the biggest football clubs in Germany (given of their past Champions League appearances).Posted from
Singapore -
“We were once a British colony and so it’s like if England ever achieve something major like winning a World Cup again, it’s the next best thing for us to celebrate…halfway across the world.”
Oh, this goes to show how little I actually know about Singapore. I didn’t even know it was a British colony once. Explains a bit how the Premier League is doing so much better marketing itself abroad than any other European league.
Posted from
United States -
Yeah. Richard Scudamore (the Premier League chief executive) and his ways of marketing it abroad. Or maybe since the days when media tycoon Rupert Mudroch began the Sky network in the UK and so as a result we get the Sky feed here for the Premier League matches. And regarding the 39th game plan which had been making its rounds lately (I was actually secretly hoping the meeting with Richard Scudamore and FIFA president Sepp Blatter will happen and Blatter giving Scudamore a piece of his mind but…no for now), in the beginning I had heard that we are one of the venues considered. For some reason I was in aghast when I saw ‘Singapore’ being mentioned.
In short - a big ‘NO!’ from me. If Mr. Richard Scudamore wants to hear what this overseas follower of the Premier League wants to say of the plan, I had just said it. Just don’t get me started on how the newspapers here reacted of the 39th game plan…naturally they are excited. But I was shaking my head. It’s best to keep it in England, and so why bring it overseas when many countries do show the Premier League already? People may like to watch Manchester United v Arsenal, but who will want to watch Derby and Birmingham playing against each other outside of England?
Plug off the Premier League coverage on pay-TV and not showing on free-to-air here, and people here will ‘revolt’. Sort of. Many were up in arms back then when subscription fees were raised. My father had no choice but to pay more. If ain’t for Premier League on pay-TV here, I don’t think he will consider subscribing to it.
Jan, it’s okay regarding how much you know here. The country is so small to begin with on the world map.
I had longed accepted the fact that since I come from a small country, we don’t get a lot of attention worldwide like the US…unless something major happens out of here which is worth international attention. Like we are the first country having a Formula One night race for the new F1 season. Posted from
Singapore
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