Good morning, dear reader, dear reader,
The Bundestag election is already five days ago and I trust them a little secret: In these news-rich days before and after February 23, the sports department of T-Online more often desperately from the bosses from the service, who are responsible for weighting and positioning the articles on the homepage in the editorial team.
TV duels, surveys, election day, first projections, official end result and its consequences, plus chaos in the USA, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East- For us, of course, completely incomprehensible that there is no prominent place for the top game of the 2nd Bundesliga or the Biathlon World Cup. After all, however, that should be mentioned for rescue, the active colleagues are trying to get the attention to the (our) world center of sport.
With all the eventful despair about the dear colleagues, however, there is also a reason for us to be happy. With a little pathos even reason to be a little proud-on our main sporting topic, German professional football. Because Germany’s most popular sport, its clubs, its responsible people, first of all his stars, they have demonstrated around the Bundestag election: they understood what it is about – and have been advisable for one of the most fundamental civic duties of all open society: Maintenance of democracy.
From Torwart-Grande Manuel Neuer About his teammate at FC Bayern Munich, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry,, To Borussia Dortmunds Julian Brandt Or master and cup winner Bayer Leverkusen with defense chief Jonathan Tah: The biggest names in German football, whose most membership clubs and more have promoted before the election day for the important participation, for participation, for political co -decision.
“Your voice counts. Go to choose. Get in”for example, speaks Musiala with contagious motivated tone in the camera, and if there is a criticism with all the most pleasant commitment, it is that the crisp short clips mainly over the Instagram channel of the public Foundation of the German Football League (DFL) were cabilated into the world. Cosdical 6,666 followers can show this. After all, the campaign, which was designed for the last days before February 23rd, was also also driven by the much more powerful account of FC Bayern, which has an impressive 42.7 million subscribers.
The DFL and its 36 professional clubs The 1st and 2nd Bundesliga called on the last match day, which took place parallel to the Bundestag election, under the hashtag #Democrateam for the election of democratic parties, against racism and exclusion. Associations like Schalke 04 or Darmstadt 98 played in special jerseys with a corresponding imprint.
Uli Hoeneßthe verbose patron saint of FC Bayern Munich and somehow also all German football, said unmistakably at T-Online: “Hopefully there will be a completely new era in German politics. Although I have never made a secret of it that I definitely mean the AfD“, the 73-year-old said in a reading interview with my colleague Julian Buhl. Numerous other clubs and club representatives were similar.
The always upright, former Freiburg coach Christian Streich explained at the end of January at a panel discussion: “We have never been as free in Germany as today and we have to defend that, for that it takes commitment!” Even the ex-international that has not been noticed as a major political thinker Max Kruse Last Sunday posted a video in which he called to vote. “We were in our polling station. This is the first time in my life that I choose,” said the 36-year-old, who is currently playing Al-Dersimspor at the Berlin national league team. Voting is “important, simply important”.
The football that is a matter of self -image too happy as Community -creating institution of public life Produced, has used its unrivaled radiance in Germany to support and protect this community.
What strikes It’s just that it stands out.
The question remains especially to the stars with their large reach on various internet platforms: Why only now in this vehemence? What were you afraid of? Was it fear to dilquade on unusual terrain? After all, not every football professional is a rhetorical natural talent like Thomas Müllerwho can answer even informative, eloquent and entertaining, if a overzealous field reporter presses the microphone pusher in the face second after the final whistle, while he is still hastily wrapped in a horse blanket.
“Of course you can say: There are not enough people from sport today“, the wonderful one recently explained to me Ewald Lienen In conversation. Lienen has to know: The 71-year-old was finally the first German professional footballer who has spoken regularly and loudly politically at active times-and still does that today. He is a controversial, critical spirit and fighter for a better world in all matters.
“The echo would be a completely different one these days”, But he also meant and took a look at the (un) social media: people of public life who were politically expressed, “the goal of a shit storm would be immediately attacked and incessantly- You have to endure that first. This is also why many shy away from public commitment. “
One who has not spared himself repeatedly is national player Leon Goretzka. The 30-year-old proved and proves backbone-and not only by an impressively wide cross on the square. “For me it is not an alternative, but a shame for Germany,” the FC Bayern player already campaigned against the AfD during the Corona pandemic. “Hass comments make me more clearly positioning myself.”