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Uli Potofski (57) joined Luxemburg’s private television channel, RTL, in 1984 where he was head of sports journalism for 10 years. Today, he works as a TV producer, author and TV sports commentator.
Office life during the World Cup
In the coming weeks, senior executives and business owners will be showing colleagues and employees their true colors: whether it’s in the elevator, canteen, corridor or conference room, soccer lovers and haters will be pitting their wits against each other.
Between now and mid July, there will be little room for sitting on the sporting fence. You are either with us or against us. Mercy will only be shown to the people who make no secret of their ignorance of the beautiful game.
Wannabe soccer aficionados who have eavesdropped on tactical talk amongst their colleagues, gleaning some but not all of the rules, may just about survive the early rounds, but only if their luck holds. Because as coach and former player Otto Rehhegel, said: “The moment of truth is out there on the pitch.” People who make valuable contributions with comments such as, “It’ll be interesting to see how North Korea fairs against South Korea,” could be facing summary dismissal, with little likelihood of being allowed back onto the field for the rest of the summer. And if, by some remote chance, we do witness a match between the two Koreas, the colleague in question will no doubt be accused of membership in some sort of international betting mafia. Incidentally, in case you were wondering, Otto Rehhagel is not “the Greek coach” but “the coach of the Greeks” – but even some of my fellow media pundits will get that one mixed up.
Wannabe soccer aficionados who have eavesdropped on tactical talk amongst their colleagues, gleaning some but not all of the rules, may just about survive the early rounds, but only if their luck holds. Because as coach and former player Otto Rehhegel, said: “The moment of truth is out there on the pitch.” People who make valuable contributions with comments such as, “It’ll be interesting to see how North Korea fairs against South Korea,” could be facing summary dismissal, with little likelihood of being allowed back onto the field for the rest of the summer. And if, by some remote chance, we do witness a match between the two Koreas, the colleague in question will no doubt be accused of membership in some sort of international betting mafia. Incidentally, in case you were wondering, Otto Rehhagel is not “the Greek coach” but “the coach of the Greeks” – but even some of my fellow media pundits will get that one mixed up.
But let’s not digress:
Believe me, whether we’re talking about the Olympics, Formula 1 or soccer, I’ve experienced all these types. And whether male or female, you can classify everyone in one of these groups. So what about you? When the whistle blows to start the very first game (South Africa versus Mexico) in Johannesburg at 4pm on June 11, will you be revealing a totally new side of yourself? Or will you remain true to the image your co-workers already have? Which category best describes you? If you’re not entirely sure, here’s a handy method to help you: if you repeatedly mistake the increasing number of flag-flying cars on the company parking lot for a convoy of diplomats, then you’re a lost cause. It’s probably best to remain a safe distance from colleagues, turn your office TV from standby to off. Somehow, you’ll get through the tournament.
