Why I am grateful to be a Real Madrid fan
“Football is life”. This line made popular by Cristo Fernandez’s character Dani Rojas in the show Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ is a simple phrase but one that holds so much meaning. Football is more than just a game that we watch as fans, it’s more than a victory or a loss and it’s more than something we simply enjoy watching. Being a fan of a team is something you subconsciously build your week around as the match days are filled with hype and wonder. You find yourself on Twitter throughout the day reading opinions, you check out the starting lineup and share your opinions with strangers on the internet who have become friends, and you sit back and watch your idols take the pitch and everything you have been waiting for is about to start for the next 90 minutes.
Having spent the majority of my life as a fan of Real Madrid, I recently found myself sitting with a friend and talking about why I even got into this in the first place. As a young kid, I found myself enamored by Zinedine Zidane playing with France and I remember telling my dad that I wanted to buy a football jersey. We went to a small store together and the man there asked me what jersey I wanted and my only response was: “Zidane”. He preceded to give me the number 5 jersey of the legend at Real Madrid and that’s when things began for me.
Over the many years that followed, I watched Real Madrid more with each passing season until it reached a point where the games were my priority and everything else could wait. This may sound a little exaggerated, but I lose count of arguments I have had in previous relationships where plans were about to be made and just like a business man would respond with “let me check my schedule”, my response was, “let me see what time the game is on that day”. That’s just how it was for a while before I got into beginning my career and being able to organize my time well. I still do everything in my power to not miss a Real Madrid match.
As the years went on, it became apparent to me that being a supporter of Real Madrid and football, in general, teaches you a lot that you tend to use in your everyday life.
We don’t have to police who is a ‘true’ Real Madrid fan
During the peak days of my obsession with watching football, the game more often than not dictated my mood for the rest of the night as well as the day after. If the team lost, I would be anxious, annoyed, and replaying everything in my head all day. As I grew up, I learned to not let it affect me which is something that has helped me separate a lot of things in life. Doing this without really realizing it made me notice that I let a lot of things affect my mood even if I do not have control over them. As time went on, I was able to simply let go of things I cannot control once it’s over and focus on the things that I do have the power to change.
Just like there are different types of people in the world, there are also different types of fans. When I was young and someone would tell me they’re a Real Madrid fan but then say they aren’t able to watch all their games – whether because of timing issue or simply not having the channel at home – I would think that they can’t be seen as fans. To be a fan, you need to watch all their matches, no? No. Just like I have never been to Spain and the only time I saw Real Madrid players was when the team visited Kuwait to play a friendly against the Kuwait National Team in 2012, I don’t see how it makes me less of a fan just because I have not been to Spain. Everyone is different and rather than sitting back and making our own baseless conclusions on how they decide to live their lives and love what they love, we should just live and let live.
My love for football and more specifically Real Madrid is no longer something that I would define as an obsession. It’s something that I am genuinely grateful for because not only has it given me something to look forward to throughout the weeks and months, it has also taught me a lot. It has been my gateway into writing, meeting people and interacting with various new people around the world through social media. Without football, I’m simply not sure what I would be doing with my time aside from my job at the moment.
Next. The best Real Madrid player to wear every kit number. dark
Because of that, I go into 2022 feeling grateful that this sport has found its way into my life. I am also grateful to the many people that I have met along the way and others that I am hoping to meet as I continue down this road. Football does not have to be the ugly place that many media outlets tend to focus on; it could be a great place for everyone to enjoy and have healthy discussions about their opinions.
It’s called “The Beautiful Game” for a reason.