“Markus Lanz” and his guests take a critical look at the state of the football business.
A former Bayern coach counters the tough realism.
“Markus Lanz” will be all about football on Wednesday evening following the ZDF Champions League highlights. Talkmaster Markus Lanz welcomes the journalist Cathrin Gilbert, as well as the two former football professionals, coaches and officials Felix Magath and Ewald Lienen to the 45-minute edition of his program. The host is initially interested in the English club Newcastle United, which has been in the possession of a billion-dollar Saudi Arabian investment fund for around a month. Felix Magath sends his assessment in advance: “It just becomes clear once again that it's all about money and no longer about sport. I think this development started a long time ago. "
Lienen assumed that the Saudi investors want to improve their image with the investment and refer to this as "sports washing". Lienen can only explain that such an investment makes financial sense: “The only thing I can imagine on an economic basis is that, of course, you are slowly realizing there in the Middle East that the carbon age is coming to an end that at some point you will get stuck with fossil fuels, which they ultimately sell. And we can see in terms of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and probably also Saudi Arabia that investments are being made here in Europe. You take over shares in VW, from all sorts of big companies, you get into Paris. That means that it may also be about securing money, investing,because there is actually nothing going on on site. "
Bundesliga behind? Felix Magath at "Markus Lanz": "Have to invest more money in the clubs"
Even the presenter Lanz does not believe that with all the "obscene sums" that are involved, an economic gain can arise. "Then what is it really about? Is it about the image, is it about the sports washing we are talking about? ”He asks Magath. He doesn't want to lump everyone together and says “that there are many different ambitions why someone does something like this. You can't compare Mr. Hopp in Hoffenheim at all with anyone who invests in England. ”However, Magath sees the competitiveness of German football at risk if Germany refuses to develop:“ If we want to get involved internationally in Germany. If we want to stay with the best, then we will not be able to avoid investing more money in the clubs. "
Lanz switched to the political level, listed the crimes of the Saudi regime and asked Lienen whether it should be allowed to be bought by such a rogue state.
He regrets that the fans and society are only interested in moral issues when it comes to football: “We could report every day about where and with whom you do business, even though there are insane human rights violations.
We only need to look to China to see what is going on there.
Nobody wants to do without this market. "
Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Co .: The Newcastle case is nothing special for Felix Magath
Magath, on the other hand, does not understand the excitement: “We are now using football and criticizing someone. I mean, we're making it too easy for ourselves. Because we all take part. You take part, she writes about it, Ewald is in the business, I was in the business, so we all live from the business. The whole business is soccer. And of course everything is part of it. And now to pick someone out and put him in the corner and he’s really bad, so I think that’s - ”Magath shrugged and couldn't think of any more words, Lanz helped:“ So you don’t think this is a special case? ”Magath shrugs, shaking his head with the shoulders: "No."
Lanz reacts puzzled and asks the former master coach how he feels about the upcoming World Cup being held in Qatar, "would you also say: This is a completely normal venue for a soccer World Cup?" "I didn't say that" , Magath defends himself, but underlines his point: “But we all accept Qatar. Or did you hear that the DFB said: No, we don't want to have anything to do with Qatar, we're not going there. Did they say that? Qatar takes place. And we're going too. So what are we talking about? "
The moderator thinks that this is “not an argument” and says: “Well, I'm not going there, you are not going there either and whether the DFB goes there or not, that could be decided in case of doubt.
You could also come from the other side and say: We’re going to send out a signal.
At that point we say that is going too far for us. "Magath reacts again with sober realism:" Hasn't the DFB just signed an advertising contract with Qatar Airways or something? "
"Markus Lanz" - these were his guests on November 3rd:
Cathrin Gilbert
- journalist
Felix Magath
- ex-soccer professional and coach
Ewald Lienen
- ex-soccer professional and coach
Host Lanz thinks that Europeans are weakening their commitment to human rights by participating in the Qatar World Cup: “Do you believe in all of that? And if you believe in it, then they have to put up with the question: why are you playing this game then? You're right, ”he concludes in the direction of Magath. “Yes, of course I'm right,” he replies with a laugh. "I was affected myself once," adds Magath and reports on his involvement with VfL Wolfsburg, where Volkswagen is in charge. Before the 2008 Olympic Games, VW asked him to carry the Olympic flame for a section of the route from Athens to Beijing.
He did it “very naively”, after all, his employer asked him to do so.
When he returned, journalists wanted to speak to him: “What idea I get to carry the torch there.
Can the Olympics even take place in China, given the human rights violations that are happening there?
You know how to take things like that, pick out a part and then pillory it.
I'm not a friend of that, I don't take part. ”Ewald Lienen is more optimistic, he wants to use the platform that sport offers:“ I believe that football in particular offers the chance to put one's finger in the wound.
But not just for football, but for what we do as a whole. "
Bavaria is the only Bundesliga club to be internationally competitive - Magath on "Markus Lanz": "It's a kind of football!"
Magath counters this chance with reality again: “But that's what has developed in football.
It's all about the money now.
And you're all just looking at Bayern Munich.
But Bayern Munich is not football!
It's a kind of soccer ball!
Because they buy the best together.
Nothing is developed there, nothing is put together. ”Talk host Lanz reacts with surprise, his impression is that Bavaria is the wrong addressee for criticism because of the lack of youth work.
Magath and Lienen are amused by this with a smile, journalist Gilbert says: "Well, Bayern always buys the one who scored the most goals against them in the past season or who annoyed them the most, who will play at Bayern Munich next season."
“Markus Lanz” - the conclusion of the show
The “Markus Lanz” round looks at the Saudi Arabian takeover of the English football club Newcastle United on Wednesday evening.
This creates an intense discussion about money and morals in sport and society.
The former professionals and functionaries Felix Magath and Ewald Lienen dominate the conversation, the journalist Cathrin Gilbert reports on the events in England and adds additional comments on the discussion.
by Hermann Racke
