In Praise of Soccer

You can play soccer anywhere; all you need is a ball. That’s exactly why soccer is so popular around the world. But what happens when you watch soccer? Why does time suddenly seem to stretch out? And why are you so loyal to your team? Jürgen Kaube attempts to clear up these conundrums. He also thinks he knows why fans are always saying that everything was better in the old days, but never as good as it is today. It is because the love for soccer does not exist without a deep sense of nostalgia. Soccer is made up of stories about players like Cruyff, Maradona, Zidane. And today’s heroes—Messi, Neuer, Griezmann—are simply the nostalgia of tomorrow. Yet, to love soccer is also to ask questions about how the game and its star players have changed and how money becomes its own goal.