Opinion: Boris, it’s time to get serious!

Failure makes you likeable, because it's human - as the saying goes. The 54-year-old is a man with weaknesses. For decades, people have fevered and suffered with him: first on the tennis court, where he is still unrivaled among the Germans before him or since. Then later, through the ups and downs of life: affairs, failed marriages, job changes and business misadventures. His image as a relatable rogue has been badly tarnished by Friday's verdict in London.

It is a judgment long in the making. Back in 2017, people watched in amazement: on his 50th birthday, a documentary about Becker was shown on German TV. In it, you see him parked in an expensive SUV in front of his impressive house in the equally impressive London district of Wimbledon, or hovering over Monaco in a helicopter. It was at that time that a London court opened insolvency proceedings against him, the consequences of which have now caught up with him.

Denial of reality or arrogance?

Is he simply an airhead who underestimated the seriousness of the situation and simply carried on as before? No, because Becker deliberately tried to find a way out. He failed in his attempt to evade the proceedings by means of a diplomatic passport from the Central African Republic. However, Becker has known since 2002 at the latest, when he was sentenced to two years' probation for tax evasion in Munich, that the judiciary could threaten him with serious trouble. This is not the only case against him.

That's why Becker's defense strategy in court was so weak: a clueless man who didn't care about his business would probably have become alarmed at some point and made an intensive effort to change things. Becker, it seems, assumed that he would somehow be able to slog his way through - as he has done so many times before. That shows a certain arrogance, similar to that shown by another famous tax offender, Uli Hoeneß.

Judgment with effect?

The claim of having been badly advised by greedy businessmen and false friends is, of course, equally weak as an excuse. The jury found Becker guilty precisely on the charges of actively concealing and shifting assets. Thus, money is said to have flowed unlawfully to his two ex-wives. The decision is unlikely to have been made by anyone other than Becker himself.

However, law and order also apply to a sporting legend and the ruling in London is correct. And in the best case, it will also have an effect: namely, that the idol will reconsider his conduct. Nevertheless, he will probably not lack sympathy for a new start - even in business.

This article was translated from German.

Source: DW