I've never pictured myself to be the avid football fan I am today.
Maybe I have been, without realizing, since the 1998 World Cup. But my football obsessions back in the day were reflections of what my cousins were obsessing over at the time, which heavily revolved around the England NT, Michael Owen and David Beckham. At the age of 7, I didn't know any other football players other than the said two. I didn't even know the rules to football. I only knew the bare basics of the game: 22 men running after a ball, each trying to get it past the goalkeeper to win with the most goals.
Then 2002 came around. I was 11. The 2002 World Cup was in Japan. The matches weren't aired late into the night - which meant that I didn't have to stay up to watch most of the matches. My favourite player was the Japanese midfielder, Hidetoshi Nakata. It was at this point in time that I was introduced to many football legends - Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zidane, Kahn - by my football crazy friends and family. I fell more in love with football.
2006 came around. I began to steer clear of any external influences and started to watch each team for myself, observing the countries' different style of play and their individual players. But 2006 was an exam year for me, so I only had a few stolen nights to watch football. The only incident that I truly remember from this year would be Materazzi's headbutt.
Four years later, in 2010, I started becoming more and more attached to the beautiful game. I was 19. I was more grown up this time, and I was allowed to stay up late to watch football. (HAHA.) 2010 was my year of football awakening. This was the year that I actually tried to learn the rules of the game. This was the year that I learned to tell if a player was offside or not. This was the year I learnt how players got yellow carded, etc. It was like I was opening myself up to a different world. A fascinating world.
It was also in 2010 that I began to notice the German NT.
At this point in time, I did not have a favourite club. I only knew that I had a favourite player, and it was Mr. Bastian Schweinsteiger. Haha. And I was crazy obsessed with the German NT. However, I didn't know about the Bundesliga, or Bayern Munich, or any other team other than Barcelona and Real Madrid or Inter Milan outside the EPL at the time.
Give me a moment. Let me just slap my 19-year-old self right now for not knowing all this.
So... 2011 came around. I was 20. At this point in time, I began to be more aware of the clubs and leagues that existed in the footballing world. I began to follow the progress of the German NT and my favourite players, especially one very talented Bastian Schweinsteiger. I also began looking into the different football clubs, their players and their fans. For some unknown reason, I steered clear of Manchester United. The EPL did not excite me much. So I began looking into other leagues.
I started to take notice of Barcelona because of their style of play. They were an interesting team to watch and they had one of the most loyal fans I've met, other than the Liverpool fans.
That was until a friend of mine asked me:
"You're a German NT fan right? Then you must be a really big fan of Bayern Munich too."
I swear I had question marks popping right over my head. I had never actually watched Bayern Munich in action. I haven't heard of the team, let alone their players.
Give me another moment to slap myself really hard for this. Hahaha.
So I head back to my room and did some research. With every click, with every YouTube page I opened, I began falling in love with Die Roten.
2012 came around. I was yet to decide on a favourite club. I had (unofficially) decided that Bayern Munich was my favourite club. I slowly followed their progress and began getting acquainted with the Bayern family.
19th May rolled around. My friends who knew I was an avid German NT fan / Bastian Schweinsteiger fangirl made me tag along to watch the Champions League final. I tagged along, not knowing how much heartache this match would bring.
I had my heart in my throat the entire night. I was crazy anxious. 90 minutes. Corner after corner. Shot after shot on goal. Neuer saves. Cech saves. Extra time. Penalty shootouts. Bastian misses his shot. I felt like crying. Drogba shot the winning penalty for Chelsea. The Chelsea fans were cheering. I felt my heart shatter into a million tiny pieces. The Bayern players broke down and cried. They lost. In their home stadium.
It was in this moment of extreme heartache that I knew how much I had truly become attached to Bayern Munich. I did not feel this way with any other club. I have not shed tears over other clubs. But I did for Bayern Munich, the club I have only begun to love.
EURO 2012 came. I felt heartache again when the German NT did not qualify for the finals. I had so much faith in this young German team. But that's football for you - you win some, you lose some.
I guess you can say that 2012 was the year I really began to become a part of the footballing world. I was an observer for so, so very long. 2012 was the year I truly began to feel like I was part of the football family.
Fast forward to 2013. I am now a crazy football fan. Sleepless nights. Live-streaming. Not a single weekend spent without following EPL/ Bundesliga/ Serie A matches. My jerseys. Oh how I love my jerseys.
"It's not just a stadium - it's our home
It's not just a kit - it's our skin
We're not only 11 - we're millions
We're not just a crowd - we're family
It's not just 90 minutes - it's a lifetime
It's not just a passion - it's an emotion
It's not just a game - it's our life."
I can't tell you how true this poem is. The tears that escaped my eyes as the last whistle was blown at the 2013 Champions League finals was enough proof for me that I had fallen way too deep. I was in love with this game. This game where 22 men fight over a ball and in the end, the Germans win.
Mia San Mia.
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