AllMovie

An enterprising English teacher at a German boys' school introduces football into the curriculum as a means of smashing cultural barriers, but encounters resistance from the stuffy staff and prejudiced parents. The year is 1874. Concerned that tradition may be hindering progress for his students and staff, the headmaster at a prestigious German secondary school hires English teacher Konrad Koch (Daniel Bruhl) to help expand the horizons of the young pupils. The moment he steps into the classroom, Oxford graduate Koch recognizes that the students' knowledge of Britain is rooted more in provincial prejudice than fact, and determines to use the sport of football as a means of braking through to them. And though the result is a resounding success among students, the rigid parents, teachers, and local officials quickly make it their personal mission to run Koch by any means necessary. But just when it appears they are about to achieve their goal, the young teacher receives support from the very people he values most - his students.