From the publisher:
In the middle schools of this country the German teachers have the habit of tormenting the pupils with Goethe's "Faust". The essence of one of the most important works of German literature is: It is love that holds the world together. It is similar with football. Here, too, writers - not as important as Goethe - have already established that everything in life can change, but not membership of a football club.
This view may seem pathetic at first and perhaps even at second glance - and it is. But she's also romantic; so romantic, in fact, that Romeo and Juliet could be jealous. Because anyone who observes how old men almost despair in the stadium after making wrong decisions or how young girls proudly wear their teams' jerseys on the school football field sees them confirmed. And also sees it confirmed: It still exists, football romance. The unconditional love that causes palpitations.
Different things can trigger this. The first game visit with the parents, the colleagues at FC or simply a stadium that is just as charming as we had in St.Gallen up to 13 years ago. But what's behind the romance of football? Does the term simply describe a transfigured feeling or is it to be understood more abstractly? Are there any explanations for this? Which people do you embody? Where can you actually find it?
We answer these questions in the 14th issue of our magazine. Our captain Lukas Görtler, who recently extended his contract in an exciting way, has his say. And we spoke to Urs Fischer, who reached the European Cup with Union Berlin last season. We rummaged through the stories about the legendary Diego Armando Maradona and talked to the St. Gallen musician Manuel Stahlberger about his relationship to football. We also found fans who left their original club because, in their opinion, it had developed in the “wrong direction”. Now they run their own club.
In St.Gallen, the football club is still firmly anchored in the population. We have the oldest club in Switzerland here and love it without him repaying it in the form of wins and titles. Still, week after week we rack our brains over how the next game will play out. Is that football romance for you?
Message from Stanchion:
Please note that this magazine is entirely in German and there is no English translation available. It's beautiful though, so understanding the text isn't necessary here.
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