The fatal crisis management in the GDR football in 1989, the Clinging to old patterns of behaviour – all of which resembled that of the state management a little later.
country game after the fall of the wall: Austria (black pants) won in Vienna against the GDR 3:0 photo: Reuters
is Added, this “is to endure thirty years Ago,” Yes, currently hard. We escape into the world of football, where the world is still in order and was. Outside in the GDR. And we’re back in the theme of this weeks. The East German national team had played with their coach Bernd Stange 1988 and 1989, a remarkable world Cup qualification. As the Chance, in Italy in 1990 to compete, but is in danger of fell – while, in parallel, in the land of the grumbling about the political situation, was louder – also, the German football Association of the DDR (DFV) his choice of coach rod.
What is the communication as a crisis management believed stage to have corresponded pretty exactly to the inability of the political leadership in the Politburo, Yes, you anticipated this time-even. As a successor to Train, was appointed in February 1989, Manfred Zapf. The had completed twelve games for his country and as captain of the FC Magdeburg in 1973 against AC Milan in the European Cup winners ‘ Cup win, but as a coach, never worked. Zapf was regarded rather as a party soldier, who had been made to the position of Deputy General Secretary of the communication.
This Manfred Zapf should be so, as it was thought the on the official page of Bernd Stange physically well prepared players such as Matthias Sammer, Ulf Kirsten and Andreas Thom of their ideological confusion free. With the right awareness, the Eleven, the world Cup should create a qualification. It is the only the second world Cup participation of Casinovale the GDR would have been in its history.
Zapf but the laughingstock of the national players was, “because he came with the Textbook under your Arm on the training ground,” as the Frankfurter Allgemeine, at the time, scoffed. In its only until may, 1989, the ongoing Aegis he screwed up as a kind of Egon Krenz, the green lawn, almost everything. His last day of work, a 1:1 in Leipzig’s Central stadium, against Austria.
For Zapf Eduard Geyer came. Among other things, a 3:0 victory in Iceland, and a 2:1 home victory over the Soviet Union caused for optimism. While the Soviet Union was already qualified for the world Cup, were three others in this group still hopes: The GDR, Turkey, and Austria were on equal points.
Also the fall of the wall made for Confidence. 15. November 1989 was played by the GDR in Vienna against Austria. But, who believed to see in the opening of the border the Chance for Bahis recovery of the GDR, a gigantic Illusion came to, it showed in the football faster than in the Rest of the society. The Belief that the Fans would take advantage of the new freedom to travel to, of all things, the DFV-cheer selection, burst in the 2. Minute, as Toni met pads for the first Time. In the end it was 3:0. “In retrospect, I have the feeling that the fall of the wall has effect for the player of the GDR is rather stressful,” said Austria coach Pepi Hickersberger later.
The Prater stadium was sold out that night, but many DDR Fans were not even traveled to Vienna. Became the world champion. in July 1990, the then West Germany, but a few months before the reunion as a Team, with quasi-total German strength to celebrate The GDR lacked at the world Cup, reinforced the impression that here, games are already big in Germany.
