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Reading The Game: Ein schwarzgelbes Jahr
The writers’ team – Autonoma for short – has created a written testament to their affinity and relationship with Borussia Dortmund. A different writer from the team was invited to
each BVB home game in – as The Times describes it – the “best stadium in Europe”. Yet as the season began, no one could have predicted what was in memorable Champions League evenings, an inexplicable Götterdämmerung in the league, a bleak midwinter spent in the relegation zone, the shock against Augsburg, an exhilarating derby win, Jürgen Klopp’s resignation, the league comeback, the peculiar
cup semi-final against Bayern Munich, and the dream of lifting the DFB-Cup and finishing off the season in style celebrating on Borsigplatz, the public space that is the team’s spiritual home.
The Autonoma, who were crowned European champions in Dortmund in 2010 at the Rote Erde stadium, accompanied the black and yellows, die Schwarzgelben as German fans know them, on perhaps the oddest – certainly the most memorable – season in the club’s cheering them along, loving them, suffering with them, and in a sense playing every game with them as well.
“Juve were playing imperiously this evening, the Dortmund team in contrast in the same way I imagine the Greek democracies in their final tired, indecisive, and far too conscious of their own deficiencies. The melancholy way Sokratis lost possession …” - Simon Roloff
each BVB home game in – as The Times describes it – the “best stadium in Europe”. Yet as the season began, no one could have predicted what was in memorable Champions League evenings, an inexplicable Götterdämmerung in the league, a bleak midwinter spent in the relegation zone, the shock against Augsburg, an exhilarating derby win, Jürgen Klopp’s resignation, the league comeback, the peculiar
cup semi-final against Bayern Munich, and the dream of lifting the DFB-Cup and finishing off the season in style celebrating on Borsigplatz, the public space that is the team’s spiritual home.
The Autonoma, who were crowned European champions in Dortmund in 2010 at the Rote Erde stadium, accompanied the black and yellows, die Schwarzgelben as German fans know them, on perhaps the oddest – certainly the most memorable – season in the club’s cheering them along, loving them, suffering with them, and in a sense playing every game with them as well.
“Juve were playing imperiously this evening, the Dortmund team in contrast in the same way I imagine the Greek democracies in their final tired, indecisive, and far too conscious of their own deficiencies. The melancholy way Sokratis lost possession …” - Simon Roloff
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 27, 2017
Uzun süreli nadasa bırakmanın ardından yeniden kitabı elime aldım (final döneminde olması ayrı mevzu tabi) ve 3 günde falan bitti. Kitabın en iyi yanı sizi Westfalen atmosferine sokması, bu konuda çok başarılı. Her biri farklı takımların taraftarı olan yazarların (Bayern taraftarı olanlar da dahil) sezon boyunca Dortmund'un iç saha maçlarını takip etmesi ve başta tribünde hissettikleri atmosfer olmak üzere o maçlarla ilgili yazılar yazması, ve sonuçta hepsinin BVB'ye sempati duyar hale gelmesi de güzeldi. Kitabın sonlarında yer alan Jürgen Klopp ile yapılan söyleşi de keza çok güzel. BVB hayranlığımın da etkisi ile puanlama da çok objektif davranamamış olabilirim ama fena bir kitap değildi kesinlikle. Benim açımdan 2017'nin son kitabı olabilir ayrıca.
February 18, 2017
"Futbolun hafızası, fil hafızası gibidir. Maçlar, zaferler, sonucu belirleyen goller ya da yenilgiler anılarda tekrar tekrar yaşanır. Futbolun güzel tarafı işte tam da budur. Onu sevdiğiniz sürece hep çocuk kalabilir ve sonsuza dek oynayabilirsiniz."
December 2, 2015
An interesting experiment; Borussia Dortmund invited a different German literary writer or artist to each of their home games and invited them to write an article about it for their website. This book’s essentially a collection of these articles with added input from players for added context.
What they got was an ideal season for writers; a season where the club fell from grace to a large degree, from title challengers and perennial Champions League participants to battling relegation in mid-season. And even the supposed redemptive ending falls flat. The breadth of references is therefore wider than you’d expect from standard football writing, covering philosophy, history and a number of art forms. Each article focuses on an aspect of the club and to that extent the perspectives can be interesting. The problem comes in that the articles don’t really offer enough space to go into depth on these aspects, so in that sense it’s often not beyond a level of writing found in newspapers. The passion surrounding the game is ably conveyed, how it can override the veneer of civilisation, but ultimately it’s outsiders looking in. What is remarkable is how these writers and fans succumb to the appeal of the club, despite having other allegiances, almost hypnotised by it at times.
A bigger problem is that only half the story’s covered; we get half the narrative unsatisfactorily covered in a quick line. We only get part of the story,. This really would have benefited from one or two articles with writers travelling with the club and adding to the perspective, giving us key games absent here. An attentive reader might also question how much the articles being commissioned by Borussia’s main sponsor Evostik might affect the writers, consciously or unconsciously. It’s a lovely hymn to the end of an era at a club, but the fractured narrative undermines any sense of a story. That said, for Liverpool fans, the Klopp interview is well worth reading. A fine idea then, but frustratingly flawed in execution.
What they got was an ideal season for writers; a season where the club fell from grace to a large degree, from title challengers and perennial Champions League participants to battling relegation in mid-season. And even the supposed redemptive ending falls flat. The breadth of references is therefore wider than you’d expect from standard football writing, covering philosophy, history and a number of art forms. Each article focuses on an aspect of the club and to that extent the perspectives can be interesting. The problem comes in that the articles don’t really offer enough space to go into depth on these aspects, so in that sense it’s often not beyond a level of writing found in newspapers. The passion surrounding the game is ably conveyed, how it can override the veneer of civilisation, but ultimately it’s outsiders looking in. What is remarkable is how these writers and fans succumb to the appeal of the club, despite having other allegiances, almost hypnotised by it at times.
A bigger problem is that only half the story’s covered; we get half the narrative unsatisfactorily covered in a quick line. We only get part of the story,. This really would have benefited from one or two articles with writers travelling with the club and adding to the perspective, giving us key games absent here. An attentive reader might also question how much the articles being commissioned by Borussia’s main sponsor Evostik might affect the writers, consciously or unconsciously. It’s a lovely hymn to the end of an era at a club, but the fractured narrative undermines any sense of a story. That said, for Liverpool fans, the Klopp interview is well worth reading. A fine idea then, but frustratingly flawed in execution.
September 13, 2016
Like a lot of English fans, I have a soft spot for BVB which began way back when Sammer and Chapuisat donned the Schwarzgelben.
Over the last few years Jurgen Klopp just added more charm and made Dortmund a very likeable club all over the world.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read (minus a couple of stories I didn't care much for) but importantly it really captured every emotion that the BVB fans were going through throughout this difficult season.
One day I will get to Dortmund to catch a game and experience the Wall for myself in person.
Over the last few years Jurgen Klopp just added more charm and made Dortmund a very likeable club all over the world.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read (minus a couple of stories I didn't care much for) but importantly it really captured every emotion that the BVB fans were going through throughout this difficult season.
One day I will get to Dortmund to catch a game and experience the Wall for myself in person.
February 12, 2018
Alman futbol takimlarindan Borussia Dortmund'un 2014-15 sezonundaki ic saha maclari ile ilgili bir kitap. Kitabi ilginc ve okunabilir kilan ise bu maclari takip edip mac ya da stat armosferi hakkinda gorus bildirenlerin baska takim taraftari gazeteciler olmasi. Sari Duvar lakapli kale arkasi tribununu kitabi okurken keske orada olsaydim diyecek kadar guzel anlatmislar.
December 28, 2015
A brilliant little read, especially for Liverpool fans wanting to know a little more about Klopp. YNWA.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews