In an exciting Online presentation for the VHS North of the district, illuminated by the historian Rudolf Oswald the shadow side of the of so many people loved football.

County – even the title brought the contents of Oswald’s remarks to the point: “The Beautiful Game? Manipulation and corruption in international football“. That the beautiful game with the round leather brings, due to its economic importance, unsightly, and often illegal accompaniments, is in itself nothing New. The PhD historian Oswald (Born in 1967), the has specialised during his studies of recent history and of English literature in sport historical aspects of the subject but on its technical level. He illuminated the beginnings of the commercialization and development of until today: “the history of German football is shown: If there is a sport for the consumer is the object, open to Manipulation and corruption,” he stated at the beginning.

“The lawn game comes from the bourgeois liberalism”

“The lawn game comes from the bourgeois liberalism”, as Oswald’s historical classification. Therefore, the competitive character of football, based on two conditions: the absolute comparability, and the unpredictability of events stirring. “The lack of decisive occurrences, and leads to the single action receives great importance,” said the historian. The leg hold “a subversive Element”, which can also annoy the Powerful, who use football for their own purposes, and belonging. Oswald reminded in this connection of Joseph Goebbels’ rampage attack of 1941 with the Germans 1:2-defeat in Switzerland, on the birthday of Adolf Hitler.

With the rise of football in Germany after the First world war, the behavior of an increasing consumption, and the sports journalism that have come to the ideal requirements of the game for the first time, to falter, so Oswald. Thus, illegal payments were at the time, to increase performance, etc. The DFB had rigid Amateur regulations, but “behind the Scenes, we have been bought, bribed and also denounced”.

success in sports as a prerequisite for the economic competitiveness

explained His Thesis that the sporting success had led as a prerequisite for the economic competitiveness increasingly to manipulation, Oswald, among other things, on the biggest football scandal of the Weimar Republic, the affair Linnighäuser. Of the players of FSV Frankfurt had been locked in a victory actually, nonetheless, the FSV was allowed to dubious entanglements, including suspicion of taking a bribe, to retain the points. Instead, the protesters was the end of championship competitor Hanau 93 with the Association to the exclusion of punished.

In the case of the founding of the Bundesliga in 1963, was manipulated and 1860 Munich benefited

has been Tampered with, according to Oswald, even at the founding of the Bundesliga in 1963. Already at the time of their composition, the criteria with a view to the strong financial or policy-supported clubs had been bent again and again to cope. The time to the start of TSV have benefited from 1860 Munich As a master of the upper League South he was fed only directly in the Bundesliga, because a corresponding amendment was conceived. The Offenbacher Kickers on the other hand, would have been in any of the previously valid ratings, and looked at “as a club without a Lobby,” as Oswald said, at the end of the tube.

Later, the Hesse rose then and have been involved in the Bundesliga scandal of 1971. The totals were even for the time was rather low, but still at least seven Teams were involved, more than 50 players were punished.

Oswald On the forecast introduction of the Super League without promotion and relegation

That in all interventions the ability to plan the sports and thus the economic success, has become a force in international football, with the introduction of the Champions League particularly clear. The principle of the equality of masters was undermined, because many of the winners had a low economic potential. In 1986, the European Cup victory of Steaua Bucharest have reached out to the financially strong clubs, so Oswald, the forecast for the future of the Super League without promotion and relegation. Then the sports would be entirely replaced by economic competition, by a process of by way of the transfer policy already in progress.

And also the world Cup-the award is now fully conformed to the economic criteria, as the example of Qatar show. Nevertheless, Oswald is still a Fan of football: “Beautiful Game is more than just good looks, corruption, and Manipulation can be at least enclosing”, so his hope for the completion of the unit.

“Infantino has perfected the System of Blatter.”

On demand by VHS head Lothar Stetz for the FIFA leadership pessimism by sound but rather: “Infantino has perfected the System of Blatter.” Also, the response to the Chat question from a listener about the role of the Fans seemed to be sobering: “in The Bundesliga scandal of 1971, the Fans had market power, were able to put the clubs through the district will remain under pressure. With regard to the revenue, they have no more Power,” said Oswald, the see, especially in the case of the Ultras, a counter-movement to modern, from the economic point of view dominated football, but: “The Ultras give good pictures, are the hosts to the operation and managers, but rather unimportant.”

Finally, Oswald is no longer also criticized the media development: “The very Big with their own television stations, such as Real Madrid, need independent journalism. FC Bayern will no longer need the maybe soon. The sports magazines of the ‘ 70s: This was a other coverage.“

speech on Youtube

The lecture by Rudolf Oswald, you can listen to follow-up: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DACmfeT29B0&feature=youtu.be