Hans Meyer and Moritz Rinke

Football is often used as a metaphor and image for many of the social, economic and political questions which concern us. This makes it all the more attractive to the intellectuals, artists, writers and philosophers who flock to the stadium every Saturday: a playing field and place of longing for both images of mankind and ideas about the world. However, few sports professionals can provide the levels of intelligence, wit and wisdom of football manager and teacher Hans Meyer. His game analysis is legendary, his sense of humour is feared, his professional and psychological knowledge profound. Meyer was GDR champion as a player with Carl Zeiss Jena and became a manager in the top GDR league aged 29, winning three FDGB cups with Jena. He has subsequently managed several Bundesliga teams including Union Berlin and Hertha BSC.

He saved 1.FC Nürnberg from relegation in the 2005/2006 season and led them to victory in the DFB cup the following year. Last season he managed Borussia Mönchengladbach, one of the youngest teams in the Bundesliga. Here his thinking about the responsibility towards young players in this tough professional business gained a great deal of attention. Moritz Rinke, football-mad dramatist and author, is a goalscorer for the German writers’ national team. He too has been managed by Meyer. Rinke will provide him with passes; crossfield balls, high balls, back passes and hard, low crosses to kick off World Cup year.