Heute vor 26 Jahren starb die Liverpool-Legende Bill Shankly.
Viel gibt es zum schottischen Fussballer und Coach William Shankly eigentlich nicht zu sagen. Fans des englischen Fussballs kennen ihn sowieso, und wer meint, noch nie von ihm gehört zu haben, kennt mindestens seine berühmteste Aussage:
Einige Leute halten Fussball für einen Kampf um Leben und Tod. Ich mag diese Einstellung nicht. Ich versichere Ihnen, dass es viel ernster ist.
Shankly trainierte die ‹Reds› von 1959 bis 1974 und machte sie zu einem erfolgreichen und grossen Club. Berühmt sind auch seine Sprüche, von denen ich zur Feier des Tages einige zitiere. Verzeihen Sie mir, dass ich sie nicht übersetzt habe.
«Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.»
«If you are first you are first. If you are second you are nothing.»
«A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are. In my time at Anfield we always said we had the best two teams on Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool reserves.»
«It’s a 90 minute game for sure. In fact I used to train for a 190 minute game so that when the whistle blew at the end of the match I could have played another 90 minutes.»
Shankly to a young Liverpool trainee: «The problem with you, son, is that your brains are all in your head.»
«I told this player, ‹Listen son, you haven’t broken your leg. It’s all in the mind.›»
To Ian St John: «If you’re not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we’ll discuss your options afterwards.»
After a hard fought 1:1 draw: «The best side drew.»
«The problem with referees is that they know the rules, but they don’t know the game.»
To an interpreter regarding excited Italian journalists: «Just tell them I completely disagree with everything they say.»
On a wartime England v Scotland match: «We absolutely annihilated England. It was a massacre. We beat them 5-4.»
«Me having no education. I had to use my brains.»
«When I’ve got nothing better to do, I look down the league table to see how Everton are getting along.»
«Of course I didn’t take my wife to see Rochdale as an anniversary present. It was her birthday. Would I have got married during the football season? Anyway, it was Rochdale reserves.»
About the This is Anfield plaque: «This is to remind our lads who they’re playing for, and to remind the opposition who they’re playing against.»