Preview: Of a sudden it is relaxed not trying to contain my emotions if I have to talk about the German national team. It was not the case, until nine days ago. Only time will tell if I was actually silly enough to declare that I had enough of the 'circus' surrounding the German national team. But, I was an England supporter in the first place since in the midst of the 2002 World Cup. I had committed what I called the biggest mortal sin an England supporter can commit. I played the Devil's Advocate during the 2006 World Cup when having the German national team as my second team. In the unofficial weekend football focus series, the confessions of a football fan who once had to always be mindful of what she might be typing here when it comes to her footballing loves.
Someone should had stopped me almost three years ago. I was referring to the 2006 World Cup semi-final between Italy and Germany. I was on the edge of the sofa when the first goal went in. Just when one thought that would be going into penalty shootouts, the goal came about and the second one came about soon after. Before I knew it, it was all over.
It was the first time I ever watched a live telecast of a match in the wee hours of the morning at my side of the world. I refused to believe the final scoreline. Tears only started to come out of my eyes hours later. Now when I read back the entries regarding the German national team post-World Cup, that tournament might had made me blog about football more often since (I have a friend who once said that I will always be able to find something to type on my blog because it was originally about my own life, school life)...now I look back and begin to think, 'What was I doing?'. I should need a lesson in football loyalty. I always look to my father as an example, because back when Manchester United once got relegated (this was in the 70s, and they were in the second division for only a season though), he never jumped ship and chose another club to support. This was at a time when Liverpool reigned supreme in his schooling days.
Only goodness knows since my father became a football fan, how many heartaches he had endured as an England supporter. And Holland to a certain extent. The 1974 World Cup might had been the second title for the then-West Germany with a certain Franz Beckbenbauer part of the squad, but that was when Holland and their 'Total Football' revolution came into fore. Or actually, it almost never happened. If I want to sound a little romantic in my typing, it was the same tournament which got my father who was still a teenager at that time...seduced by how Rinus Michels's Holland did. The same tournament which also saw the arrival of a certain Johan Cruyff, the person whom my father eventually declared as the best footballer in the world. Even in the present times. Pele and Diego Maradona does not even come close (or my father will pick Pele given of how he felt when Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal came about in the 1986 World Cup against England and he still has not forgiven the now-Argentina coach for what he did then). Back in the time when the German national team was still my second team after England, I am fascinated with reading about the Dutch school of football.
I suppose the first sign of 'relapse' for me came during the Euro 2008 tournament. Bearing in mind the hype machine surrounding the England squad ahead of the 2006 World Cup, I was actually disgusted at the hype machine surrounding the German national team at the tournament. The defence eventually became laughable, with all the age-old German cliches, values about their football came into fore...like 'efficiency', for example. The semi-final match against Turkey was an example in regards to goal attempts. The Turkish national team which had already surprised many with their comeback status, gave the Germans a fright for their lives. And it is a side which has suspensions and the like (Turkey) facing a side which was supposedly one of the favourites for the tournament (Germany). Now to look back as a neutral, Turkey should had sent the Germans packing. Still, Spain managed to beat them to it in the final...ending all those footballing myths that at the end of the day no matter what, the Germans will always win. The so-called German winning mentality, huh?
The Euro 2008 tournament for a moment, saw the footballing brilliance of the Dutch national team. Even with me aware that there is quite a footballing rivalry going on between Germany and Holland, I was fascinated with how the Dutch played. It was later on I realised, that is why my father had been 'seduced' since 1974. For him when watching the tournament (it was amazing because I almost never got to watch the tournament because my father was saying England never qualified and why bother to subscribe to the coverage), it was a throwback to the 1974 World Cup all over again. That was the football he knew, that was the football he believed in.
Somehow my 'wanderlust' continued after Euro 2008. One hiccup after another in the German national team, off the pitch. Of a sudden, supporting the German national team was actually a chore. And supporting England, my first footballing love...was becoming fun all over again. Then the 'countdown' to the friendly match between the two national teams in November last year began. With more hiccups from the German angle than I can laugh at the shady defence during the Euro 2008 tournament. And just when I thought I was almost on the verge of breakdown over the personnel situation in the England camp ahead of the match in Berlin...I finally knew where my footballing loyalty really lie all along during the match itself. It is my first footballing love, my original footballing love...England. The 'suffering' I had in the past...I was actually celebrating the scoreline after the final whistle: 2-1, to England. Whenever I looked back and thinking about the situation heading into the match in Berlin, I realised that was when England coach Fabio Capello had finally won over me. There is a reason why nine days ago which also happened to be Capello's birthday (he turned 63), I had an entry which I looked back on how he landed the England job, and the entry title was called - The architect of my renewed footballing faith. I had rediscovered my sense of belief under the Italian.
Reading all about the internal squabbling within the DFB (German FA) hierachy in the lead-up and in the midst of the current European U-21 Championship, I realised I cannot take it anymore. So imagine my secret annoyance the Germany U-21 are through to the final after they overcome Italy, and they will meet England in the final. It will be a second meeting after the group stage, but the stakes have been raised this time.
Anyhow, when you have a coach in the German national team who is always a darling of the advertisers despite his biggest triumph as coach so far was only a domestic cup triumph and a general manager in the national team who looks more like a salesman than a footballing man...the lessons I have learned having a very experienced Italian in charge of the England national team is that, those kind of people are better off not being in football at all. Football coaches who think they have achieved a lot except when there is only a domestic cup win to show for it...sorry, that is not my type.
At the end of the day, I rather prefer old-school football coaches/managers...like who is in charge of the England national team at the present. The kind who does not hog the limelight for the sake of it. It is a shame though, considering it was the German national team during the 2006 World Cup which made me first introduced to German football and the Bundesliga...and almost three years on, it is the end of the road for me. Except for the Bundesliga, that is.
