Croatia is in the world Cup final and all of the turn – our author Jagoda Marinic. How could this happen? How could it come so far? And most importantly – why not?
Croatia has scored in the world Cup final. Right, Final. And I don’t know what got into me: But for the first Time in my life, I sit in a car and a horn in the middle of a column of football-crazy with Croatia-flags, shout until you are hoarse. The city is prepared for us well, everything is sorted. By turning it in an orderly fashion: Welcome to Germany! I love it so.
Croatia is in the final. I scream Fiiiinaaaaaleee out of the window as I had done all my life and nothing else. A Boy at the traffic light screams back and leaps with a Croatia-Flag, which could be his big brother, in the square. This goes on so, life on the streets. Why is the only world Cup-times?
Watching with Strangers
I sound recently, very different: What’s up with that? This corrupt Fifa! Everything is bare, or a disguised form of nationalism! Players who earn in a year so much money, as most of their Fans in the whole life! And this year, Russia as the host – who needs it? I, obviously. For now, I’m sitting in the motorcade through Mannheim. Most of the time it is jammed, the police has cordoned off. She waves but friendly. I wave, and the envy of all who were so smart to provide themselves with music, and to decorate their cars.
Fiiiinaaaaaleeee!!!!
I watch the world Cup games out of the house, with as many Strangers as possible, as mixed as possible. This year, I’ve seen most of the games in Mannheim, one of the most colorful cities in Germany – working town, with internationally influenced everyday culture. In the game against Russia, Russians and Croats frotzeln, all of which are also German. A couple of mixes, make to connoisseur. They had just bought in Croatia is a summer house. I scold, laughing: selling out to foreigners! You cheer with me for their second country. Later, after Croatia has won, you want to be sure a round of schnapps. There is only the German Jägermeister, I tell you. Also, say the.
To watch football with Strangers is so cathartic, as in the past, only the carnival was. In the mid-term we can swap chargers and Power Banks to recharge mobile phones. On all channels, sending messages to friends and relatives all over the world. Croatia has played the most brutal of extensions. At the end, but could go always the losers head held high. After the Russia game, I stood as an onlooker at the edge of a road: cars of all layers, flashy cars, old boxes. Many went with a Croatian, a Russian and a German Flag on the car. But, I thought. A pity that so many German escapes that we live in times in which many of the summer’s tale.
Distance? What is the distance?!?
Of course I wanted to be in the beginning about things. Distance is so important nowadays. Society is the collective outrage, but not for collective celebrations. One Night, then the Tweets of the well-known Serbian American Economist Branko Milanovic. He said that the world Cup is for all the Corruption of the last major global event. Yes, I think. You can draw from them the material for small talk with neighbours, friends and Strangers.
The small talk, however, I have no desire to, are the recriminations within the German team. A Lothar Matthäus, the bows to Putin: No Problem. A Mesut Özil, who knows no theory of Democracy: to Fully address the Problem. Even the level of air bladder football experts is higher than this idle debates. It happened only what the masters three of the world previously also happened: We were eliminated in the preliminary round.
Everywhere the Slayer bend over the Sport. The Croatian President is cheering with the Team in the cabin, you will reap praise and criticism for sexist and admiring comments. I could analyze everything now, all the false gods of the world during a tournament. And then think: Let it be. Enjoy the easy. And share the enjoyment with millions of people around the world.
What is a Offside?
The Croatian team bus with the super slogan before: Small Country, Big Dreams. It is also a world Cup was in the small countries such as Belgium and Croatia into the quarter-finals, fought. David against Goliath. This is the Ur-story that any normal person needs to Survive. Croatia, a country with so many inhabitants, like Berlin, is now in the final of the 2018 world Cup. Many of the author’s colleagues and journalists to spend your time with, all tweeting live from game to game in order to bet. In the morning I read the analysis of the statements. I have the answer to the question of Europe, what is an Offside, because men still think that this is the ultimate Test for a woman as a football commentator.
After the victory, a Tweet about Modric is shared a thousand times: How he lost as a Boy in the war, his grandfather. How he came as a refugee to Zadar. Too shy was. And how he was Luka Modric, who is the soul of the team that made it into the world Cup final. After each game, Strangers on Twitter, old study friends from all over the world, whose numbers I already had in the address book, to congratulate me zig. I would have to authorize the iron: What did I do? But I say: Thank you, you were great, too! Big hug!
I was always for the Underdogs. The world Cup is not only the tournament of Nations. It is also the tournament of dreams: world-wide fame for small countries. Fighting spirit in front of money. In the international Clubs, the rich win most. Players are for sale. This time, the Team of a country that would not have for such games once the stages wins. The Croatian coach hardly anyone has heard of before. Big Stars like Messi and Ronaldo are like. And suddenly, I’m not proud of. I always say, for the country in which one is born, no one can do anything. I hear those critical voices, which I give always right: a stage for nationalism, a platform for rights… I hear you, but I’m not listening.
Enjoy it, guys!
You can, however, not all Ambiguous to the world, make a mess of. So I read after the Games, Interviews with the coach Zlatko Dalic. He goes with his people into judgment, because they had not trust this Team as a success. He reminds us of what it means to fight, to believe in themselves and Yes: performance. It is a celebration of the power company.
I wouldn’t have to get out by now and say: I am in favour of a social, solidarity-based world? Instead, I go to the Twitter Account of Ivan Rakitic and sky him because he secretes his Tweets perfectly in three languages. And because he is celebrating his brotherhood with Modric, while others authorize you to competitors style. Fraternité, I think, and feel a bit intellectual.
Croatia’s freaking out: A whole country in a frenzy of joy
Yes, Croatia will play on Sunday in the final against France. You will be sweating and howling and one way or the other in the arms. And Zlatko Dalic, whose first name means “the Golden one”, is to say back to them: “Uživajte!” Enjoy it, guys! Enjoy Your Game. I can do that too. Vive la Irrationalité.
Jagoda Marinic is a German-Croatian novelist, Playwright and journalist. Finally, the book “Made in Germany appeared to her – What is German in Germany?”. In it she deals with the identity of Germany as a country of immigration.