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Soccer

'Kick off! Life' launches with Marc Bartra

August 17, 2017

Kick off! Life - DW's new football show seeks to answer some of the bigger questions behind the beautiful game. After all, for a great many of us, football is life. Episode 1 features Dortmund defender Marc Bartra.

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DW Kick off Life (Sendungslogo englisch/deutsch)

Football is life! When philosophy can no longer satisfactorily answer the questions of life, DW's new football show "Kick off! Life - More than Football" tries to do it part. Episode 1 airs on August 17th on both YouTube and TV.

Kick off! Life - more than just football

On YouTube and on TV

A sports team headed up by Henning Hesse, Philipp Engelhardt, and Marc Friedrich developed this new magazine show, which replaces "Kick off! Countdown." The result: an unconventional football show that takes a look behind the scenes.

Kick off, Henning Hesse, Ulrich Cüwell, Philipp Engelhardt
Thumbs up from the Kick Off! Life crewImage: DW

"It's the first DW football show that is broadcast on TV and on YouTube simultaneously," says Matthias Frickel, deputy managing editor of DW Sports, who initiated the project.

Every Thursday, Kick off! Life takes a look at a different aspect of football. Whether that's fans, love, money, defeat, home or happiness.

Being Ronaldo

Reporters interview stars about their job, their hopes and desires, and find out about the highs and lows of footballing life. The segment "Global Talk" sees fans from all over the world discuss their favorite sport. "Life is a pitch" finds the world's weirdest football pitches. Every week, a different fan presents their fan song in "Singing Fanclubs." In "Being Ronaldo" we take a look at life through the eyes of football's biggest star: Cristiano Ronaldo.

All of that and much more can be seen every week on Kick off! Life.

DfB Dortmund vs  Rielasingen-Arlen
BVB's Marc Bartra features in the first episodeImage: Getty Images/A.Pretty

"We want to engage the fans, wherever they call home. Football fans around the world live online, not just on TV", says Henning Hesse. "So, we're sending them the world of football straight onto their phones." All of the show's elements will be posted on YouTube, with excerpts also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Bartra revisits April attack

Kick off! Life's first show delves into the topic of fans. No other sport has such a strong fan culture as football. Dortmund's defender Marc Bartra, who was injured during a bomb attack in April 2017, speaks about the days after the incident. "After missing the penalty in the Supercup, I was devastated and couldn't sleep that night. But my last thought before falling asleep was: Marc, if you can get over everything you have gone through, how is missing a penalty keeping you up at night?"

A report on Frankfurt's hooligans takes a look at the dark side of fan culture through the hooligan's voice.

Check out the YouTube channel here.