English had been used on the way to the Alte Försterei: It was “the greatest journey to any stadium”, the best approach to the stadium, said one of them. In the stadium itself on Saturday were a dozen American reporters who had actually come to Sunday’s NFL game at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, but were now taking a detour into German soccer culture as guests of the German Football League.
What they saw in the 2-2 draw between Union and FC Bayern, next to the star Harry Kane, who did what he is famous for, and next to the star in pink, who is called not Messi but Manu, and did something he is not really known for, was something else: that the star in Germany is the stadium.
If you’re looking to film a promotional film for the Bundesliga, you couldn’t find a better location this weekend – but some of the others would be pretty good too. This is a great thing for the league, but at the same time a problem. If you want to continue to grow, then this is difficult to do in the domestic market, because the potential is considered to have been exhausted and you have to look elsewhere, namely abroad.
And you get the most beautiful mood pictures that carry everywhere. But not the stadium experience itself. That’s what you have to keep in mind when discussing whether the Bundesliga should also continue.
On the occasion of the NFL game in Berlin between the Atlanta Falcons and the Indianapolis Colts, Oliver Bierhoff, former manager at the German Football Association and now a consultant for the New England Patriots football team, again implemented this idea. Some underestimate the “hunger” of fans who want to see the stars and their teams; this is in the interests of football as a whole.
But the American model cannot be easily transferred. When the NFL or NBA, which also travels to Berlin in January, tours, they do so as global brands. For the “buzz” of the venue, the spectacle and the excitement, it hardly matters which team comes.
There is a broader economic context behind this. The American League was only able to embark on (further) global expansion because they had ideas of development that transcended individual interests. You could also say: different cultures.
Working on this will also be a boost for German football to get things moving. However, recent efforts – keyword investor projects – have shown that this will be a long and difficult journey. This is due to the fact that those who make a significant contribution to football in the country are trying in every possible way to prevent this.
This is a trap that German football cannot avoid. Today he continues to produce incredible images, but they hide the fact that the sport is no longer that great. A game or two abroad, even a Super Cup, won’t change that any more than a tourist office with an adventurous trip to the Bundesliga will. What’s really needed to gain traction overseas is something different: not an exported competitor, but an improved competitor.
