Do you ever think about how 2 people become friends?
Were they living next to each other? Did they go to school
together? Did they share the same hobby? Did they support the same soccer club?
2 people become friends when they share something in common?
50 years ago, the leaders of France and Germany met and
signed the Treaty of Friendship, known as the Élysée Treaty. After fighting
against each other twice in the first half of the 20th century, the
2 neighbors wanted to establish dialogues and cooperation on many subjects.
To celebrate this anniversary, a soccer match was organized
last week at the Stade de France. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the
French President Francois Hollande were at the match. I was there too.
Since the Treaty was signed. Germany and France have been
dominant forces not just in the European political and economic scenes but they
have also been dominant forces in European (and World) soccer.
From 1966 to 1982, West Germany won the World Cup once,
finished second twice and won 2 EUROs.
From 1982 to 1986, France twice made to the semifinal of the
World Cup and won the EURO in 1984.
From 1986 to 1996, West Germany/Germany won the World Cup
and the EURO and France did the same from 1998 to 2000.
Since 2006, Germany had a good team but had not won
anything. Going in to the match last week, Germany was ranked second in the
world. One common denominator in this German team is FC Bayern Munich. In any
match, they can have up to 7 Bayern players in the line-up and if Podolski and
Klose play, that brings the number to 9 Bayern and ex-Bayern players.
I am not sure this is such a good idea.
For the French team, the common denominator is that 8 of the
starting eleven do not play for French clubs.
It was a very good match with both sides attacking from the
start to the end. Germany was the better team, more fluid but whenever France
(especially Ribéry) had the ball and space, the German defense was in a panic.
Just before half-time, I moved to a strategic location near
la toilette and watched the game from a standing area. France got a free kick
and the ball hit the bar and 2 French players were in front of the German
defense (see photo) and they combined for the goal.
Sissoko from Newcastle United (the next Patrick Viera)
headed the ball to Valbuena and the little player from Marseille (1.67 m)
headed the ball in. The German defense was sleeping.
5 minutes into the second half, the number 20 of France,
Cabaye from Newcastle United, lost the ball in his own half. 1 pass (Gundogan
to Muller) and Germany got a goal.
Minute 72: Gundogan passed to Khedira. Khedira to Ozil. Ozil
back to Khedira. Goal for Germany. A beautiful goal.
Final score France 1 Germany 2
Angela was happy.
Of the 3 French starters, 2 came from Paris Saint Germain.
Mamadou Sakho and Blaise Matuidi. All the media attention may be on Beckham,
Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura but PSG does have some very good French players and
these are they guys (who do the dirty work and stay out of the media limelight)
that will bring the trophies to Paris.
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| the last time I was at PSG - September 2012 |
I would not be surprised if this year Champions League Final
will be between PSG and FC Bayern. France and Germany meet again.
PSG with the philosophy to spend money to buy the best
foreigners and FC Bayern with the philosophy to grow the best German players
(or if another German club grow the best players then FC Bayern will buy them).
2 clubs with 2 different philosophies
2 countries with very different ideas of how to solve the
European economic problems
Is austerity the answer? or should government spend money to
boost growth?
Sometimes friendship does not survive. Sometimes we let the
difference to be more important than what we have in common.
50 years is a long time. I really admire what France and
Germany have done to maintain the spirits of this Friendship Treaty.
I will be very happy to meet Angela and Francois again at
Wembley in May.
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| the last time I was at Wembley- CL Final 2011 |
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