Simon Kuper写马特乌斯和比埃尔霍夫（以及谈到克林斯曼）
马克安利帖写得头晕，来透个气。
资深足球记者和作家Simon Kuper在他的八卦大作《Soccer Men》(美国名字——原名应该是《Football Men》）里面拿一章写了马特乌斯。Kuper先生呢基本上是个老马黑。（注：不是说他黑得没有道理，只是立场这种事情还是能看出来的。）我看过一次，知道了大概内容（其实他的分析和我的差不多这种事情我会说吗），就不大再想复习了。不过今天拿出来翻，看到了红白玫瑰（……等等）风的大比出场。（出场背景是笔者和一群记者一起等着采访即将去纽约养老的马特乌斯，大比酱油路过。）
Bierhoff emerges from the Atlantic. When he ses us he raises his eyebrows in the manner of Roger Moore and says, "An interview with Lothar. Always interesting." Then Bierhoff reaches for his cell—his Handy, Germans call it—and starts speaking Italian. He's a cultivated man, Bierhoff. His father was a big fish in an energy company. The child Bierhoff took guitar and tennis lessons, studied corporate economics, and in his first few seasons as a professional player eraned less than his dad. Not like Matthäus at all. (p23)
这位作者吧……其实我完全懂他的意思。而且读完了也森森地觉得老马和玫瑰绝对百分之百就是三观不合不是一个世界的人。但我看到这一段，还是忍不住会感叹——
The Italian journalists asks Matthäus for this Greatest This, Best That. Best international: against Yugoslavia at the World Cup 1990. Best opponent: Maradona. Favorite club in childhood: Borussia Mönchengladbach. Biggest mistake: his public squabble with Berti Vogts and Jürgen Klinsmann. "We were old enough. We should have talked to each other." (p32)
顺便说这本书里没有克林斯曼的专章。在2014世界杯后作者如此回答了一个"Who is the most compelling figure?"的问题：
I'm very interested in Klinsmann—how he's kind of made the leap from one continent to another. He's obviously a guy who's always gone his own way, almost sort of outside all national soccer cultures. I think he's an intriguing person.
