The day before yesterday, a football evening felt like a difficult morning after. Yesterday was such a day for me. But “the Mannschaft”, the German team, has made the people of Ecuador and Paraguay happy. That’s worth something. Public holidays have been declared in both countries.
This is also part of the truth: our disappointment in Germany is a reason for joy elsewhere.
Comfort comes from many directions these days. A friend from the Arab world wrote to me: “A tragic match and a furious ending for the German team… Germany will eventually return to a level where it can truly threaten any opponent.”
Such words act like balm. And yes, maybe it will take another eight years. Historically, it takes two decades for Germany to find its way back to „World Class“ after a World Cup title. 54, 74, 90, 2014. One could learn from mistakes faster, right?
Shared suffering helps. The Dutch have broken the Brazilian record. Unbeaten for 15 World Cup games and still eliminated. Morocco, as number 6 in the FIFA world rankings, is after all a co-favorite. A triumph of the globalization of the game. And a serious test for France in the quarter-finals?
Football connects peoples. Europe’s top leagues have attracted players from all over the world, and the consequence is clear: the road to the quarter-finals is longer today than it used to be. Germany never missed it until 2018, except in 1938. The world has changed, and so has football.
The African continent has brought 9 out of 10 teams to the knock-out games, the round of 32, the best odds of all continents. This is also worth news.
What remains? A change of perspective that is good. A global web of emotions that I perceive. And the realization: There is also a connection in the hangover. Because for me today, football is a cultural, human and global experience.
I feel the pain and look for patterns to classify it. And how do you feel about the performance of your country in the World Cup?
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My name is Bernd Scharbert and I write about experiences that can be transferred from football to business life. And I am happy to accompany and advise when it comes to intercultural leadership. You are also welcome to take a look at my book. “Prepare for Landing: Leitlininen für interkulturelle Führung” (translated to Guiding Principles for Intercultural Leadership).
#Prepare4Landing #FootballMeetsBusiness
I was there, at the border triangle at the Iguazú Falls. A success triangle of South American football. Since the day before yesterday, Paraguay has become also one of them, at least until the game against France.
