commenting yosef: rhyme religion and the pope in german football

Submitted by arno (Germany), Aug 10, 2009 at 10:01

Yosef, you are right the prohet line is a matter of humor. In german the words "prohet" and "versteht" ( prophet and understands ) rhyme. The whole intention here is that 50000 supporters can easily sing along. These quasi-blasphemic connections in songs are part of the overall carnival-culture in that part of germany. Football is a matter of entertainment. But wait. Schalke 04 roughly a hundred years ago, I would assume 1904, was a football club of polish catholic immigrants working in the coal mines. When they emerged into the light they would play football. The enthusiasm of the supporters is still unequalled in germany. If questioned the usual statement of a true supporter would be "Schalke is relgion". And by the way, even the former pope John Paul II was a member of the club for his polish heritage and because the pope himself played football in his younger days.

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