by Arneb » Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:24 pm
No, no, it's OK Schalke v Dortmund is one of our few hot derbies, and I am ususally on Dortmund's side, but... ah forget it. From this side of the Elbe, you somewhat shrug at the rivalry. Schalke seems to have the same inborn error of footballism my Hertha has: They ususally play above us,yes, but like us on a different level, they will always fuck up when cruch time comes, always, reliably, irretrievably. Already burdened with two fuck-up artist bands in my own fan existence, I can't really abide this. Google "Meister der Herzen" ("Champion of hearts"), and you'll know. Also, they wear blue like my Hertha, and they are Gazprom, meh. And they usually beat us.
BTW, there was a notable exception, when in 1997, they managed to win the venerable UEFA Cup (in the same year Dortmund won CL) on penalties, against Inter, no less. I was a raving fan at the time. The word "Eurofighter" was coined for their team, which, you can imagine, did not consist of Messis, Guardiolas and Xavis, and not even of Gullits, Bergkamps or Zidanes, but of Eigenrauch, Büskens, and Anderbrügge. OK, Jens Lehmann, too. Their Dutch coach, Huub Stevens, coined the maxim, "the Zero has to stand" for their robust, fast, and physical defence-oriented football. How'st that, out-catenaccioing Inter? I loved it. It fit the place they come from, the tough, dirty, grimey coal-and steel Ruhrgebiet from the days of yore.
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