English was already spoken on the way to the Alte Försterei: That was the “greatest walk to any stadium”, the best approach to a stadium ever, said one. In the stadium itself on Saturday there were a good dozen American reporters who had actually come to the NFL game on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, but were now taking a detour into German football 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 the pink outfit, who was not called Messi but Manu, and did something he is not actually known for, was something else: that the star in Germany is the stadium.
If you wanted to make a promotional film for the Bundesliga, you couldn’t have found a better location this weekend – but a few others would have been pretty good too. This is a wonderful thing for the league, but at the same time a problem. If it wants to continue to grow, it can hardly do so on the domestic market, as the potential is considered to be largely exhausted and it will have to look elsewhere, abroad.
And you get the pictures of the most beautiful atmosphere transported everywhere. But not the stadium experience itself. That’s what you should keep in mind when discussing whether the Bundesliga should also go on the road.
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, brought this idea into play again. One underestimates the “hunger” of the fans who want to see their stars and teams; it is in the interest of football as a whole.
But the American model cannot be easily transferred. When the NFL or the NBA, which is also making a trip to Berlin in January, go on tour, they do so as a global brand. For the “buzz” at the venue, the spectacle and the excitement, it almost doesn’t matter which teams arrive.
There is a larger economic context behind this. The American leagues can only embark on (further) global expansion because they have an idea of development that goes beyond individual interests. You could also say: a different culture.
Working on this would also be a lever for German football that could get things moving. However, recent attempts – keyword investor projects – have shown that it would be a long and arduous journey. This is not least due to the fact that those who make a significant contribution to what football is in this country are trying by all means possible to prevent this.
This is the trap that German football cannot escape. In the here and now he continues to produce magnificent images, but they hide the fact that the sport is no longer as magnificent. One or two games abroad, even the Supercup, wouldn’t change that any more than a tourism office with adventure trips to the Bundesliga would. What it really needs in order to gain appeal abroad would be something different: not an exported competition, but a repaired one.
