
Football
Share
Published 19:11 7 Oct 2015 BST
Updated 16:37 8 Oct 2015 BST
Explore more on these topics:
The difference was evident immediately. The detail is in the coffee holders.
And the scramble.
Then the press conference actually started. But half the room got a disappointing surprise when they soon realised that the Germans were speaking German.
Thankfully, there was a translator there. One who the English-speaking crowd grew suspicious of though.
Not just because Joachim Low was filling our heads with nonsense like:
"I think Ireland are famous for defending very well. I see them physically stronger than Scotland and they play more imaginatively."
(That's Ireland he's talking about by the way.)
But the suspicion grew more so when the Germany boss spoke for a good three minutes and we were pawned off in three sentences by the translator.
Something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEHFVUDesqo&feature=youtu.be
But the difference was quickly evident in the line of questioning.
Whilst one of the planet's powerhouses were being pressed on the concern of Mario Gotze - a man usually on the bench for them but not in the last game - not starting every single game for Bayern Munich, conversation amongst the Irish journalists was a lot more humble.
Suddenly, we've had to accept that John O'Shea is a sure-fire starter and then, with our own superstars like Ciaran Clark and Marc Wilson unavailable for the Germany clash, our options were:
"Well, it's either Richard Keogh or Paul McShane..."
You also know the world champs are in town though when photographers are pulling out all the stops to show off their acrobatic moves.
But everyone was giving it their inspired best. You put in the work and the rewards are obvious...
Then, the inevitable Jurgen Klopp to Liverpool questions came in.
Of course they did - there were people who had travelled from Merseyside to get that soundbite.
Jaw-droppingly though, Low confirmed that he is not part of those negotiations. If you hadn't already guessed.
"I'm not part of the negotiations there so I don't really know what the status of that is," the Germany manager said. "Of course I do know that there are talks going on. Looking back, he had an extraordinarily successful time in Dortmund where he released loads of emotions in the Dortmund crowd. If you look at it from afar, it is comparative - Dortmund and Liverpool - with two fantastic footballing cultures. If it works out with Klopp and Liverpool, he would be a great addition to any team."
Well, that's what the translator told us anyway.
And, of course, the FIFA Manager of the Year would be no use to us on these islands if he wasn't talking about one day coaching a team closer to us.
"As far as I'm concerned, personally, I have a contract with the German FA until 2018 and I'm not looking at anything past that." Don't expect to see that on any back pages tomorrow.
If Low wasn't going to give us anything, maybe Germany captain Mats Hummels would.
After the Germans were finished asking the centre back about his comments after Dortmund's game with Bayern and his Twitter hashtags, the English media got down to serious business.
- What do you think of Jurgen Klopp as a manager and would he be good for Liverpool?
- Mats won't be answering any questions about Klopp and Liverpool until anything is finalised and confirmed.
- Forget Liverpool then, what do you think of him as a manager?
"He's a fantastic coach, an absolutely great coach and I think when people put their minds to the question, what is he going to do post-Dortmund, then clubs without a coach will certainly enter the frame in that discussion. He lives, breathes, eats and thinks football day after day and he would be a great addition to any side."
That's not really the sort of thing we're looking for, Mats. Quick, somebody ask him about breastfeeding.
FAI announce official decision for Ireland v Israel venue
BREAKING The FAI have confirmed that Ireland’s home fixture v Israel in the Nations League will be moved to a neutral venue according to RTE. Originally, the match was scheduled to take place on the 4th of October, in the Aviva Stadium. After a meeting on Thursday, the decision has been made to move the […]
Football
1 day ago
Live sport on TV in Ireland this weekend – Football, GAA, Rugby – June 12-14th
The World Cup is here! With the World Cup kicking off last night as Mexico eased past South Africa. This weekend’s sport is jampacked with action from football, GAA and Rugby. There are set to be eight live World Cup matches this weekend, bolstered by huge All-Ireland and Tailteann Cup quarter finals. In the Rugby, […]
Football
1 day ago
Football
Michael Carrick changes one of Man United’s longest modern day traditions
Football