Abstract
The 2002 Soccer World Cup in Japan took place during the finalphase of the national election campaign for the German Bundestagand managed to temporarily unite Chancellor Gerhard Schröder(SPD) and his conservative challenger, Edmund Stoiber1. Both werekeen to demonstrate repeatedly that they were so interested in theprogress of the German team that they simultaneously interrupted orleft meetings to follow televised matches. Domestically, they supportvery different soccer clubs. Stoiber is on the board of directors of therichest German club, Bayern Munich, whose past successes, wealthand arrogance, numerous scandals, and boardroom policies of hireand-fire have divided the German soccer nation: they either hate oradore the team. Schröder is a keen fan and honorary member ofBorussia Dortmund, which is closely associated with the industrialworking class in the Ruhr area. It is the only team on par withMunich; despite its wealth, the management policies of the clubappear modest and considerate; the club continuously celebrates itsproletarian traditions and emphasizes its obligations to the localcommunity. Stoiber’s election manifesto did not even mention sport,whereas the SPD’s political agenda for sport focused upon a widevariety of issues ranging from welfare, leisure, physical education,and health to doping, television coverage, facilities, and hostinginternational events.
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