What makes football special?

What makes football special?

We asked out Peace Ambassadors what they think makes football special. this is what some of them said.

“First and foremost: because it’s such fun! But it’s also a great way to bring people together from different cultures, and it’s a great way to experience things and go to places you would otherwise never get to see.” (Tina Wulf)

“It’s every schoolboys dream and it covers everything; emotions, discipline, you name it… It’s a sport anyone can do; all you need is a couple of jumpers and a ball. That’s how I started; I didn’t even have a football, just a tennis ball and two jumpers for goal. - That’s the beauty of it, it’s so easy! And it’s great because it’s healthy; you are out in the fresh air and you run around a lot and it keeps kids from being lazy and ending up in front of the computer all day long.” (Viv Anderson)

"It’s such a simple sport really, you kick a ball, you attack and defend, you create space for your own team or close down the opposition. It’s easy. It’s something everyone can learn, if they want to and if they have the skills and mindset. But the genius of it all, in its simplicity, is the mental bit, that’s what makes it so complicated. No one, no one has got the answers to why it is that a team that was absolutely brilliant in the match on Sunday can be an absolute disaster in the match the following Thursday. Even if they are doing exactly the same thing! You never know what you’re going to get, it’s the small details that can break the codes of the game. It’s impossible to fully grasp the game of football!" (André Bergdolmo)

"I think it’s because it works like an international language, everybody loves it and it’s great as it’s got no racial or ethical aspects about it. A football player can be a Christian or a Muslim, who cares? As long as they are football players their skills is all that counts." (David May)

“The change of attitude in the children was obvious after the tournament. It affected us all greatly, you could feel their new spirit and see how the young footballers thought: There is something out there for me, something worth fighting for – and it can all happen for me!” (Jennie Vavik, assistant to CEO & President, MTG).
“My fondest memory of the tournament in 2010 is from the last evening at the prize giving ceremony after the Pizza party. It was incredible to see the children sitting next to their newly found friends from different countries all cheering and giving each other applause when each and every one of them came up to the podium and received their well deserved diploma and medal. The atmosphere was fantastic!” (Hans-Holger Albrecht, CEO & President, MTG)

“I feel grateful and excited about winning this tournament, as a team to hold this cup. The tournament was fantastic; to meet new friends from other cultures, to express ourselves and to try to speak in other languages. Thanks a lot for that!” (Richard Donkor, scorer of the winning goal MTG United for Peace Cup 2010)