Anyone looking for the right term for this European Football Championship could find what they are looking for in the “Try”. Everyone tries something. In view of their limited playing opportunities, the German team is trying to revive the myth of the tournament team. The media try to convey enthusiasm in order to amortize the effort associated with such a tournament. Nevertheless, there is no enthusiasm among the audience. There was restraint until the Germans played against France. But then, as announced by ZDF, 22 million viewers tuned in. They saw that the national team was really trying. They testified, as the central defender and own-goal bad luck raven Mats Hummels, who had been reactivated by the national coach, put it on Instagram, "that we want to tear ourselves apart at this tournament,that we want to inspire you again and be successful ”.
The circumstances do not invite enthusiasm at the moment.
This is reflected in the reporting on television.
It is as dreary as the German offensive game against France.
You adjust the ball to yourself in midfield, only to hit a flank haphazardly into the opponent's penalty area out of perplexity.
However, journalistic possibilities would be offered by limiting to what is important: objectivity without frills.
After all, football is entertaining enough for the fan.
But that's not enough in the competitive television market.
A tournament like the European Championship is the perfect environment for the advertising industry, even if it arouses enthusiasm among those who are otherwise less interested in football.
Mood cannons from the entertainment industry
For this European championship, Telekom secured the rights to all 51 games with Magenta TV, including the exclusive rights to eleven games. When buying rights, there was no sign of the end of the pandemic, the stagnation of the national team and the general reluctance. Instead of beautiful pictures of enthusiastic people, we at Magenta TV look at a studio decoration that exudes sobriety. The broadcaster tries to create some mood with social media antics. "Post your pictures under #Eurolounge", they say. And that's the name of the sitting area in the studio with the inevitable mood cannons from the entertainment industry. But this is more reminiscent of the desperate efforts of a salesman on a coffee trip who has to bring his electric blankets to the customer.
The coverage on Magenta TV shows how it works: Johannes B. Kerner and the former national player Michael Ballack talk competently about football. In addition, there are in-depth game analyzes by Jan Henkel. Before the German team appeared, we learned how they should play. After the game, why that didn't work. Kerner and Ballack still lack the irony of the former ARD moderator team, Gerhard Delling and Günter Netzer. The two had to learn that between 1998 and 2010. After all, the European Championships of 2000 and 2004 were a fiasco for the Germans that could only be commented on with sarcasm. That the Germans want, but can't, was also recognized at the time. Michael Ballack was an exception,who almost single-handedly made it to the final of the 2002 World Cup with goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. Today hope rests on the previously missing midfielder Leon Goretzka. Probably not only with the experts at Magenta TV.