Über die Macht des Zufalls im Fußball

An evening for soccer strategists and sports philosophers. As part of the "Sport and Culture" series of events, Christoph Biermann presents his findings on chance on the pitch. An exciting and possibly shocking evening at the VfB fan project.

"Chance is logical," said Johan Cruyff. So it's worth questioning the justice of victory and defeat. What if it wasn't true what we think about soccer: that despite all the efforts of coaches, managers and players to bring chance under control, it is not uncommon for the wrong team to finish top of the table and not the right team to be relegated. Christoph Biermann set out in search of chance and spoke to coaches, managers, club owners and mathematicians. He discovered some astonishing facts that will change the way we look at soccer.

11Freunde chief reporter Christoph Biermann is the author of several award-winning books, such as "Die Fußball-Matrix" and "Matchplan". His new book "Die Tabelle lügt immer" ("The Table Always Lies") is a comfortable read because it exposes the fact that many of our assessments of matches only contain half the truth. Because we look at things far too often from the bare result. Because it is human nature that results are best "earned". Because it helps us to accept the outcome of a game if we recognize a deeper justice. In the rooms of the VfB fan project, Christoph Biermann will present the most important theories and findings on chance in the game. Including video analysis and diagrams.

When: Thursday, December 4, 2025, 7 p.m.
Where: VfB fan project, Hauptstätter Str. 41, 70173 Stuttgart
How to get there: By public transportation: Take the U1 or U14 to Österreichischer Platz
Admission: Admission is free, registration is requested.
Registration by email to: florian.guentert@vfb-fanprojekt.de