He is 88 years old and in 17 editions as a World Cup correspondent he has seen and talked about all the legends of football: from Pelè, to Maradona, to Messi. Yesterday, in the German conference, he was also celebrated with applause by Nagelsmann
At a certain point, at the beginning of the conference, in a general winter press room due to the air conditioning blasted from the infinite vents of the Houston Stadium, the eyes of dozens of journalists focused on a man of almost ninety years old sitting in the front row, on the right, wearing a yellow shirt, jeans worn by time and brown loafers. “I would like to ask Julian Nagelsmann a question…”. And applause from the coach to all the reporters, including the American stewards around him. Hartmut Scherzer is 88 years old, a journalist and this is his 17th World Cup. From Chile ’62 to today he hasn’t lost a single one. More than sixty years around the world following Germany: Mexico, England, Brazil, Russia, Italy…
FROM CHILE ’62 TO TODAY
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Since 2018 he has been told that he is the last, he is rewarded, but he resists and travels. Yesterday, in the Italian night, he asked Nagelsmann the first question on the eve of Germany-Curaçao. The great debut of the Mannschaft after the last two World Cups went badly: out of the groups in 2018 and 2022. Scherzer asked how he felt before the debut: “I don’t think about the past, but only about winning. We are focused on the performances of the players and on our identity. I want a brilliant team”. Hartmut saw Germany win the World Cup three times. Born in 1938, he was sixteen years old in 1954, but he enjoyed the victories of 1974, 1990 and 2014 live. At the end of the conference he was approached by several foreign reporters. In Germany everyone knows him. It seems he also participated in 21 Olympics since ’64 and in 33 editions of the Tour de France. When you ask him what drives him to take a 12-hour flight to Houston, he flashes a smug smile: “Passion. Only passion.” Obvious questions, then: the best world championship ever seen live? “I say Germany ’74 and Mexico ’86. Diego’s slalom was art.” The worst? “South Korea-Japan, 2002. A logistical nightmare.” The best player? “Pele”. And the best Italian? He asks us to make him a list: Maldini, Totti, Rivera, Paolo Rossi, Del Piero, Cannavaro, Tardelli, Baggio. “Stop, Roby is Roby. I choose him.” And he goes away smiling. Towards yet another World Cup as a reporter.
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