FIFA, as well as every spectator and fan, is always interested in increasing the attractiveness of football. However, according to popular opinion, a) everything has already been said about the implementation of effective measures and b) there should be no upheavals in a business that is booming worldwide. Today I would like to convince the reader that there are not only a number of new and, on closer inspection, simple observations and considerations and proposals derived from them, which have definitely not yet been presented in this form, but which are just as easy to implement.
To this end, there are two major complexes that should be distinguished. The first complex, which in my view has been largely neglected, is reporting, where there is a share of a purely German problem, but also a globally unifying one. The second complex is the rules, their application and the interpretation of them.
First, I address the problem of reporting. This is divided into the purely German problem and the worldwide one. In the second part, I deal with the football rules. However, both complexes are a) well motivated by examining the psychological background and causes and b) provided with possible proof techniques that the observations are correct, so that I am always ready to put this perception to the test.
1) The reporting
a. worldwide
The power of the media is arguably undisputed. The paying spectator, who is absolutely necessary and satisfactory for the preservation of the sport, has to consume what the media throws at him, even if it is difficult to digest here or there. If you lose the spectator, you lose the sport, and that should be clear to everyone.
So if the media propagate war, the spectator will – willingly or unwillingly – embrace war. If the media promotes the Olympic idea, it too will be swallowed. Which of the two ways is the more effective in maximising the number of spectators, the enthusiasm, the approval for football, is, for me, among other things, up for debate.
One of the sentences most often quoted by me in this context, and quite sufficient as an example to illustrate it, is this one: “A win must come, no matter how.” Not only is the phrase readily quoted, it is glorified. Ah, at last they are doing what we want to see. Unconditional fight “to the knife”. That is the tenor expressed by it. My continuation of the thought is: a) we don’t care about the paying spectator, especially the neutral football enthusiast. Whether we offer the world an exciting and attractive, fair game of football is of no importance at all. Whether we injure their key player, whether we scratch, bite or spit, whether we produce swallows or provoke the opponent into a lack of restraint and thus a red card is all subordinate. Only victory counts. In this country in particular, the phrase “dirty victory” has become popular.
What does that mean? The most important thing: the zero must stand. A 1-0 victory. Dirty. Who, apart from the few fans of this team, has been thrilled, who has been pleased? The neutral spectator has long since stopped watching.
My suggestion: rethink! The manner of a victory does count. Unsportsmanship must be highlighted and not supposed “cleverness”, with which one has achieved victory (by unfair means), but along the way has left behind all credibility and enthusiasm for the sport. The media have the power. Losers are not relentlessly spanked, but celebrated as participants in a great game. “Thanks for a great game.” if it was one, should be the intended message. We were all fascinated, excited, riveted to the action. The fact that it wasn’t enough to win in the end only slightly dampened the joy. “Being there is everything.” We represent the sport. With all its facets, the great scenes, the classy goals or saves, the winners who deserve the honour and the tragic losers, the emotion and the passion. But not that of unsportingness and unfairness.
b. in Germany
2) Rules, their application and proposals for modification
3)