The other Germans: Die Nationalmannschaft on its way to the World Cup
In Germany, some things haven’t changed. Despite the commercialization of the global game, players’ multi-million Euro contracts, and the increasing importance of clubs as global brands, to Germans, their national team is something that remains sacred beyond these factors. As I experienced first-hand during the last World Cup, nationalism is never as widespread and accepted in Germany as it is when the national team is playing. Suddenly, it was okay for people to carry flags, including on their cars, and be patriotic, something most Germans usually do with a reluctant embarrassment that almost naturally comes along with even a minor degree of historical awareness.
This high standing enjoyed by the national team is explained by its history. Indeed, its impact on German post-war history cannot be underestimated. The 1954 upset win in the final over Hungary gave a country under reconstruction something to identify with, and titles have followed in roughly a 20-year rhythm since. Expectations for South Africa are correspondingly high.
As a result, the high degree of popular identification with the team allows the German team and staff to prepare for the World Cup in ways unheard of in other countries. With the support of most Bundesliga coaches and teams (Bayern’s Louis van Gaal continues to be the noteworthy exception) behind a unified preparation plan for South Africa, Bundestrainer Jogi Löw is able to gather his candidates for national team workouts and tests during the week, while they return to their clubs on the weekends. Following all possible German stereotypes, no detail is left unplanned. By the end of a press conference with the team staff it appears as if those World Cup matches would not even have to be played anymore.
A 30-player strong selection met last week to absolve a preliminary fitness test for the World Cup. Their data was meticulously evaluated and a decision was made to add some new younger players to the team. It is January! Yet, some players have already been told that they will not be able to participate in the World Cup, notably Thorsten Frings. Additionally, it has been announced that the decision on the goalkeeper position (much more competitive than usual with Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer, Tim Wiese, and Jörg Butt all in good form) will be made before the friendly with Argentina on March 3.
However, some things have changed. The performance-based screening of candidates introduced by Jürgen Klinsmann before the last World Cup has led to a youthful renewal of the national team. This time, it is very likely that along with the youth there will arrive an even stronger emphasis on players whose names you would not necessarily have expected to see on the back of a German jersey in the past. This is a visible result of the post-war immigration influx, which has diversified the historically homogeneous German population to the point where every fifth German citizen now has what is referred to in the German media as a Migrationshintergrund (literally: a migratory background).
Regarding the national team, Jerome Boateng, Serdar Tasci, Sami Khedira, and Mesut Özil are all young players (22 or younger; these guys make Lukas Podolski look like a veteran) who are strong candidates for a final squad which is likely to also include players like Mario Gomez and Kevin Kuranyi. Even Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose were born in Poland. In short, the kind of nationalism developing around this team will be interesting to observe.
A successful articulation of national pride associated with the Nationalmannschaft, and we can be sure there will be lots of attempts, would almost have to be framed as a celebration of diversity. However, taking into account the necessarily exclusive character of any nationalist expression, the question then becomes how the German fan would differentiate his identifying myth from those of other nations. Around what attributes would this demarcation be articulated? For example, will there be a need to create a non-diverse ‘other’, from, let’s say, Serbia, Australia or even Ghana (Germany’s opponents in Group play)?
To say the least, German expression of support for the team will almost certainly be more inclusive and tolerant than it has been in the past, when TV commentators routinely emphasized so-called ‘typical German virtues’ , such as superior physical strength and mental focus, as key factors for victories over other teams. Even if the occasional neo-Nazi fan, who you still encounter with some regularity in stadiums and at public viewing events, chooses to use his remaining brain cells to cheer on Bastian Schweinsteiger and Per Mertesacker, it will be difficult for him to ignore the abilities of the ‘other ‘ Germans.
