Montagsspiel - "Das Spiel der starken Männer – Wie die Fußball-WM den Nationalismus stärkt"

In the organizer's words:

"Sport is apolitical.", "Politics out of the stadium.", "In soccer, only the game counts."
Sentences like these are like a blood curdling rant from the 80s: unsightly, outdated and, above all, dangerous.

Soccer has long been a social space in which all the issues of our time can and must be discussed.

This is exactly where the format "Monday Match - Football Culture Politics Entertainment" comes in. A compact neologism for a multi-layered format. Once a month, Gregor Ryl and Peter Farhangian talk to different experts and you as the audience about the big and small issues surrounding soccer, society and politics.

In June, they will be talking to Ronny Blaschke about the link between soccer and nationalism. Donald Trump uses sporting events specifically for his public staging - the 2026 World Cup also offers him a big stage. He is supported in this by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. However, other heads of state have also been using soccer for years to strengthen nationalism and advance political interests. How does soccer reinforce nationalism? And what remains of the beautiful game when the stadium becomes a stage for the powerful? All this - and your questions - will be discussed together on this evening!