The Devil and Football God – Top Left

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Some invent a football god who, like a referee up in the clouds, distributes luck and luck according to rules known only to himself. Still others recognize the divine in particularly good players. It started with the hapless, but then outstanding goalkeeper of the German world champions of 1954, Toni Turek. “Turek, you are a devil! Turek, you are a football god! “, The commentator Herbert Zimmermann shouted into the microphone both euphorically and metaphorically. Interesting: Wherever there is a god, the devil also seems to be very close. There was criticism from the church about the divinely presumptuous comparison. Meanwhile there are heavenly All Stars with multiple team strengths, so that they could organize their own tournament on the evergreen Elysian fields. But we digress. The Brazilian Neymar, also ennobled by his fans as the “football god”, is known for his publicly communicated belief in God. He has “God is loyal” tattooed on his wrist, his forearm is adorned with praying hands, the neck is a cross and the word “Blessed” – blessed. In 2016, after the Olympic victory against Germany, he wore a headband that read “100% Jesus”. This week, an admirer of the Paris-St.-Germain star climbed the wall of Neymar’s estate. When the police arrested him, they found several Bibles on him. According to media reports, the man claimed he had come to talk to Neymar about God. An expert was then commissioned to check the intruder’s health. You can save yourself that. The man may be a criminal. But wanting to discuss the word of God with a believing football god seems no less absurd than inviting a football god. God has, and Jürgen Klopp once correctly stated, “has more to do than worry about football”.