http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgNDljqGouE
(YouTube credit: stiofanomaidin)
WE MIGHT BE OUT, but the legacy of our jaunt to Euro 2012 lives on.
Last night, ahead of Ireland’s 2-0 defeat to Italy, Germany’s national broadcaster ZDF interrupted the analysis of former Mannschaft keeper Oliver Kahn for a couple of moments to discuss the contribution of the Republic of Ireland fans to the summer tournament.
Our favourite bit is the attempt to pronounce ‘Athenry’.
Here, if the captions aren’t working, is a translation of what they’re saying:
Katherine: We also may tribute to the Irish fans who can make such an incredible atmosphere in the stadium. Let’s put the question to Rudi Cerne in the stadium in Poznan – it seems we’ll experience this for the last time today, have they all shown up today?
Rudi: Katherine, I reckon a few more have come today, and naturally many of them are only now making their way into the stands. Around 30,000 are said to have come from Ireland, from the island, to see the last stand of the national team.
You have to say it’s a real pity that it’ll all be over after this. The adventure began in Poznan last Sunday, and the Euro 2012 adventure ends here this evening. A real shame, as it said.
They are also so relaxed, and uninhibited – plenty of others could follow their lead, they’re constantly singing and dancing – you get the impression that they’re at a summer camp when the supervisors aren’t around.
It’s a beautiful contrast to the nasty side that we’ve also seen here – I’m thinking of the rioting – so we ask ourselves whether tonight will provide another emotional moment like we had last time, when they were losing 4-0 in Gdansk, and they were all singing ‘Fields of Athenry’ – a ballada about a famine in the 19th century – and so celebrated their team shortly before a defeat.
Another question could be, what will happen with Giovanni Trapattoni? The fans have prepared a special composition for him, we’ll listen closely and see what the lyrics are, and of course we’ll look at the game.
Earlier in the week, the German commentary team had famously fallen silent during the final minutes of the 4-0 loss to Spain to listen to the voices of the Irish fans singing for their team.
Update: Stephen, the German resident who send us the video, has kindly gotten back in touch to point out that last night’s Spain-Croatia game attracted a German TV audience of 12.54 million – so ZDF’s platitudes had a seriously big audience.
I personally would prefer a mediocre team with a majority of which irish than a world class team packed with foreign players eligible.
*that are eligible
I agree Francis, what’s the point in international football otherwise, might as well just have club football if players can switch countries as well
Noble is about as Irish as a jellied eel!
Jon Flanagan would be a nice addition to our squad. I always looked on Ireland as defensively sound and average in midfield and attack, but our current defense is shocking… Other teams will definitely target that
Mark Noble at West Ham as well by all accounts
I understand why English players who are substandard go for the Irish option as it means international football and a boos in their paypacket, but I can’t get my head around McCarthy and McGeady. Born and bred Scots, certain to make their national team (if they can make ours) but they opt for a foreign country? Weird.
It isn’t surprising at all when you see naked sectarianism in west Scotland, like N Ireland.
Both have grandparents who were irish and had to move to Scotland for work reasons and brought up there kids as irish In a foreign land and both had great respect for there parents and grandparents heritage I for 1 have no problem with them playing for Ireland . Plenty of players out there who have jumped on the international bandwagon like Matt holland who sang god save the queen I think 4 Ipswich at wembley in d play offs and turned up 4 a friendly a few days later playing 4 Ireland the likes of that makes me wonder
Mccarthys on record as saying his granddad made him promise on his death bed that if he ever got good enough for international soccer that he would play for his homeland Ireland. Hard to say no to that in all fairness.
While Stephen Ireland is on record as saying that when his grandmother was on her death bed that.. oh no wait
His ‘grandmothers’ you mean Noel? Cork lads are allowed several .
Interesting how people question the plastic paddies now who played in the past. But when they actually helped get Ireland places no one had any problem with it.
Marie, the secatrian angle makes a bit more sense, thanks. I’m not sure if deathbed promises and/or ancestral lineage would play a part (if I had an English grandfather, would I consider playing for England? No) but they might be heightened if they were subjected to sectarianism and felt unloved by a significant percentage of the population.
I think that is unfair tbh. Matt played well for Ireland and was very happy to play for us, as was a lot of English lads. He was also born and reared in England – so he was entitled to sing that national anthem. We have to get over this crap.
John Lydon summed it up. In England he was considered Irish and in Ireland he was considered English. So he was both, and there was very little difference anyway, he said.
Significant populations in West Scotland still consider themselves Irish before British. The opposite to N Ireland I guess.
When a lot of the other teams goad Celtic fans with “the famine song” what do they expect? Not just Rangers.
Anyway, a lot of countries do this. Italy have done it several times with some players.
Rossi is from New Jersey? Christian Vieri was an Aussie! They had a few Argentinians..some Swiss (Di Matteo) and wasn’t there an English born player..name escapes me.
Doubt they would care if Rossi sang Star-Spangled Banner if he ever made it back to play in the MLS..
Can’t believe Trigger has inspired a debate on the virtues of players nurtured by Irish grassroots football versus granny rulers, the serious issues of sectarianism in Scottish society or intellectual arguments around degrees of ethno-national allegiances!
To recap: Trigger believes there are Irish qualified players out there that would definitely strengthen the squad but he can’t name one for certain.