Seven years after England’s last bid to host a World Cup failed, along comes another one, with the plans so far to go it alone once more. Mark Perryman thinks it’s the wrong bid at the wrong time
Few England fans would pass up the chance of their country hosting the 2018 World Cup. But why is the campaign drum being beaten now, when the 2014 hosts are yet to be selected and doubt is being heaped on South Africa’s abilities to hold the next one?
Julius Bergmann looks at the alarming recent rise in racism at German matches
Long before Anton Ferdinand and Micah Richards made allegations of verbal abuse from opponents during England Under-21s’ recent win in Leverkusen, German football had been shaken by a series of racially motivated incidents. Werder Bremen striker Patrick Owomoyela was branded as “non-German” by an extreme right party when he was being considered for the 2006 World Cup and Schalke’s Gerald Asamoah, another Germany player, was subject to abuse during a cup tie in Rostock. In Aachen a referee threatened to abandon a Bundesliga match unless offensive chanting stopped. For many, the real low point came when Germany fans sang discriminatory songs during the Euro 2008 qualifier in Bratislava in October.
If you want to travel to see a Bundesliga game next season, a map of the old West Germany will do. Paul Joyce reports on a playing and financial crisis in the East
Hansa Rostock’s relegation from the Bundesliga means that, for the first time since reunification, the former East Germany will not be represented in the top flight next season. Two clubs from what had been the DDR entered the Bundesliga in 1991-92, with six others joining the national second division, 2. Bundesliga, and the east receiving its own regional third division. For 2005-06, however, the east will only have four clubs in the second division (Rostock, Erzgebirge Aue, Dynamo Dresden and Energie Cottbus) and at most three teams in the restructured third tier.
Referee Robert Hoyzer has caused chaos in Germany by admitting that he fixed matches for sex, money and high-value electrical goods, as Paul Joyce reports
Bribery scandals have rocked German football before, not least during the 1970-71 season when more than 50 players were discovered to have manipulated the outcome of Bundesliga matches. Few believed, however, that the man in the middle could be involved in match-rigging until January 2005, when 25-year-old referee Robert Hoyzer admitted receiving €67,000 (and a plasma TV) for fixing the results of four matches, and attempting unsuccessfully to influence the outcome of two others.
Lokomotive Leipzig used to play in European finals; now they are dominating the equivalent of a pub league. Julius Bergmann reports on a remarkable renaissance
When at the beginning of October FC Lokomotive Leipzig overcame Eintracht Grossdeuben reserves at the city’s new Central Stadium, it wasn’t just the world record crowd for an 11th division match of 12,421 that made the game special; it was also the simple fact that Lok were playing.