This is a joke mainly playing on words. It refers to a biblical quotation:
- "Also werden die Letzten die Ersten und die Ersten die Letzten sein. Denn viele sind berufen, aber wenige auserwählt."
- "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 20:16)
Although many people do not know the source of it, this is quite popular and often used as a sort of proverb. The author modifies it in an ironical way, saying that those in the second position (in some footbal league or the like, I suppose) will want to be in the first place, at least for a short time.