Wir schreiben das Jahr 2002, die Weltmeisterschaft läuft und der englische Journalist Martin Samuel schreibt nach dem Halbfinale gegen Südkorea eine Hommage auf die deutsche Nationalmannschaft. Gleichsam als Ansporn für das WM-Jahr, möchten wir hier Exzerpte dieses Klassikers zitieren.

Michael Ballack 2002 nach seinem Tor gegen die USA

„Oh, come on, you’ve got to love them. No? Maybe it’s just me then. The guy [Anmerkung d. R. Michael Ballack] gets a booking. He’s going to miss the final whatever. And he’s the playmaker. Does he burst into tears, does he lose his head, does he slope about until his No 13 is raised and he can head down the tunnel in sulky silence as his team-mates falter? No, he goes up the other end and scores the winner. It is 298 days since September 1, 2001  and on Sunday the players that beat Germany 5-1 in Munich can sit back and watch their adversaries in the World Cup final. I repeat: you have got to love them.“

„Portugal, Italy and Spain all went home crying foul against South Korea. England, meanwhile, have redefined success as progressing as far as the United States and Senegal…“ […]

„The Germans are not so easily pleased. As a World Cup nation, they are serious players, not one-time winners and have no record of settling for second best or getting glad-handed at the Reichstag for winning two in five. […] they could have psyched themselves out, the same way Michael Ballack could have wallowed in self-pity after his yellow card. But they didn’t, because they are Germany and time and time and again Germany wins when it matters. […] They are not a good team, we are told. But they are quite probably a great one in the literal sense.“

„An immense collective of players punching above its weight at the end of a grueling European season. […] They suffered the worst injuries of any significant team, lost Sebastian Deisler and Mehmet Scholl from midfield, yet still came through. […] Franz Beckenbauer was right. If English footballers had the same mental strength they would have walked this tournament. […] And yes Paraguay, the United States and South Korea are the route every manager must dream about on his way to Yokohama. But Germany claimed those opponents by winning the group (which England did not) and beating the weakest team 8-0.“

„So climb down from that balcony or that high horse. The Germans get what they deserve and, more importantly, so do we.“

Dieser Artikel, von dem wir leider nicht mehr wissen in welcher Zeitung er 2002 erschien (das Layout spricht für die Times oder vielleicht die Daily Mail), soll unserer Mannschaft Motivation für das WM-Jahr 2014 sein. Spielt so, dass wir nach dem Turnier sagen werden: „You have got to love them“. Und so sagt der Artikel einiges über den deutschen Fußball, genauso aber beschreibt er den englischen Fußballsachverstand und die englische Fairness. Und ja, all das ist groß.