This is not football, it must be something else

In this article I would like, in addition to being honest, to speak in first person about my experience in this sport. By proximity, here in Spain, the performance of La Liga should not go unnoticed. The management of Javier Tebas, despite not being a character worthy of my devotion, deserves all possible praise. He has managed to push the boundaries of the sport and position it as one of the preferred options in the entertainment industry.

“This is not football, it must be something else”. We are sick and tired of seeing this advertisement on television, but in the end, it has caught on and allowed us to understand that soccer is much more than the ninety minutes that a game lasts.

Now I want to stop here, to savor each of the moments that elevate this sport and reach to unleash passions to everyone who crosses its path.

This past weekend I had the good fortune to attend an away game, where, despite not being part of any fan base, the away fans made me feel at home. Until then, I had never understood what attracts people so much to come to the stadium day after day. Don’t they watch it better on television?

I understood that the match starts two (or even three) hours before kick-off and that it only ends when the strength of the last person in the stands gives out. I have understood that defeat does not come at the final whistle but when silence fills the stadium.

Football should be a party, beyond the final result. It should be a reason for twinning between any member of the same fans, whether they are intimate or complete strangers. It should be an illusion for those who have lost hope.