Review of the movie “For the Love of the Game”

Max Jacob Ost, fellow podcaster from “Rasenfunk” and author of “Aus Liebe zum Spiel”, gave the correct answer to this question at the beginning of his reading on January 16, 2023 in Frankfurt: Because almost everyone has an opinion about Uli Hoeneß he has. This view may be somewhere between an “idol” and a “hate figure”, but at least the formative influence of Hoeneß on German football is indisputable.

A second answer can be found in the book itself: this is not just a ‘traditional’ biography. Instead, Max combines the life story of Uli Hoeneß with the history of German football.

Whether it’s the “black money rounds halfway around the world” (experimental games) in the 1970s, the birth of commerce or the TV money explosion associated with the introduction of private TV: Max doesn’t just paint with great effort in “Aus Liebe zum Spiel”. The sometimes strange history of the Bundesliga, but always underscores the role of Uli Hoeneß in the past five decades.

The basis of the book is the podcast, which comes highly recommended “11 lives”. In addition to the topics mentioned, there is also a second plot line, which is the history of the podcast itself. Episode after episode, Max describes his work on the podcast and you accompany him to the end in his attempt to win Hoeneß for an interview (and the question of whether this is necessary at all). Listeners of “11 Leben” will also like “Aus Liebe zum Spiel” because it emphasizes the social and political importance of football more than was possible in a podcast.

The result is a book of almost 400 pages that certainly contains a play that is very different from the podcast, but in no way inferior to it in terms of content. The well-studied (economic) history of the Bundesliga allows you to become more aware of some of the connections and problems facing modern football.

When asked by the audience at the end of the reading what the success of “11 Leben” means for the author as a sports journalist personally, Max summed up his answer as follows: “I used to be a nerd, now I’m a nerd.” This is exactly the critical attitude towards the field of football that we should always adopt. Hence my recommendation: listen to the podcast, read the book – you will have a solid view of current developments in football, some of which can be clearly explained historically.

Oh yeah: If you want an excerpt from the book provided by the author himself: Max will arrive in the spring Reading tour! After the reading, there is also a question and answer session, which at least in Frankfurt led to an hour and a half discussion on all the basic questions about modern football. 😉

For the Love of the Game has been on display in bookstores since January 12, 2023 Available. You can find a sample to read here.