Karl-Heinz “Charly” Körbel is the 2023 Walther Bensemann Award winner, but the German Academy for Football Culture is also presenting awards in other categories this year. To whom?
Football book of the year
After 2010 (“Die Fußball-Matrix”) and 2015 (“Wenn wir vom Fußball träumen”), Christoph Biermann will receive the 5000 euro prize for the third time. The 62-year-old journalist and author came out on top with his book “Um jeden Preis. Die wahre Geschichte des modernen Fußballs von 1992 bis heute” (KiWi-Paperback, 2022) against six other works on the shortlist. “The last three decades, the era of modern soccer, have completely changed the game. I have witnessed this period myself and am delighted that my account of the many transformations has so convinced the jury to award the book this fine prize,” says Biermann.
Fan Award of the Year
The Fan Award, which was presented for the 17th time and also garnished with 5,000 euros, was aimed this year at fan groups that are actively engaged against right-wing extremism. The jury chose “CFC Fans Against Racism”, a fan initiative of Chemnitzer FC. This came into being after the regional league club hit the headlines nationwide in the spring of 2019 because of a funeral service held in the stadium for a hooligan and right-wing extremist known to the city. Since then, the “CFC fans against racism” have continued to grow, but are repeatedly exposed to threats.
Soccer slogan of the year
In the previous year, national player Lena Oberdorf prevailed, in 2023 the prize goes to a referee. At the German Football Culture Awards ceremony on October 27 in Nuremberg, the auditorium audience voted on the two finalists, who were determined by online voting and a jury led by defending champion Oberdorf. The decision was in favor of Deniz Aytekin’s admission “When Musiala pulls up and takes 60 to 70 off you at 80 meters, you think differently about your life.”
“We referees are rarely in a final and we never win anything,” joked the 45-year-old, who accepted the award in person in Nuremberg. He made the crack about the Bayern pro after Bayern’s season-opening match against Eintracht Frankfurt in August 2022. “There was a bit of frustration involved because you put in so much work. And it’s also a bit about getting older. So the saying is almost philosophical,” Aytekin said. “But I’m not paid to race, I’m paid to watch.”
With that, Aytekin prevailed in the final against the SC Freiburg supporters, who honored Nils Petersen at the end of his career with the banner: “No one is bigger than the club. But you were damn close.” Nine other sayings had previously made it onto the shortlist, with a total of around 160 quotes submitted. The winner gets to decide which charitable cause will benefit from the €5,000 prize money.
