Words Have Power II

Football fans nicknamed the 1999 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Manchester United the "Mother of all Battles" because Manchester turned around a seemingly-lost game by scoring two goals in extra time for a 2:1 victory. Bayern striker Mario Basler scored the lead for Munich in the 6th minute but was substituted in the 87th minute while his team was still leading. Remarkable is what he said the night before the game. He was sitting at the hotel bar drinking beer very late at night when his coach came and told him to go to his room otherwise, "You can't play tomorrow." Basler responded "Then we can't win either." And this was exactly what happened during the final: His team was leading by his early goal, but shortly after he was substituted his team conceded the goals that led to their defeat.

It appears as if Basler put a curse on his team with his words that made it impossible for his team to win without him. Surely, he had not intended this with his joking remarks. Yet, it is another illustration of how words have power.