WHY WE ALL LOVE FOOTBALL SO MUCH ?

The question is why we all love football and what is so special about this sport that is beloved in each corner of our world. We shouldn’t forget that almost 250 million people play football so it must be something so attractive in this sport.

The current Euro Cup 2024 brings again the passion on the surface and reminds us how little or nothing we know about football history and the meaning of this activity. It is not only about watching and rooting for your favorite teams but about being with your spirit and heart in this cool sport.

Did you know that football could be linked to the medieval Europe and even to China, but it has been formed, as it we know, in England in 19^th century. That’s why Sheffield Football Club, founded in 1857 is the oldest known football club that is still playing football.

The football is a player´s game and not a coach´s game. This means that coach is there to analyze the strength and weakness of his team but not to play. The players are there to show what they have done all the time during the training and how well they can coordinate the game and bring the ball to the goal. The good thing about football is that is not expensive, not exclusive and not eccentric sport. It is a team sport, all for one, one for all. You just need your ball, your friends and a bit of space and you can do it. Not a wonder that so many children and youth are playing football all over the globe, sharing the dreams about being famous player one day, with best score.

The football matches are organized between two teams that play about 90 minutes, with two half times and the break about 15 minutes.  The 10 players on each side and goalkeepers. They are the only that can handle the ball if it is in the penalty area. The other players are so located to play offensive or defensive role, trying to obtain the final score for the team and keep another team on the bay, on the safe distance from the goal area. The point is to get the ball and to bring it away from own goal and to assure that your team is having a chance to make its own goal on another side of the field. That’s why there are some athletes that play defenders, some that play only midfielders or only forwards.  Usually, the players are using tackling the ball opportunity with the risk to fell into the foul danger. Not every foul is ending by yellow or even red card, but some could end up with free kick or penalty kick for the opposite team. In this mood, the most discussed rule is indeed the offside rule. I am struggling to understand it myself but talking to some friends who do train football, tried to conclude that the offside is simply the regulation against not fair play:” The simple rule is this: a player is deemed offside if the head or feet is beyond the last defender and is interfering with play.”

Do you spot the difference between the legal and illegal try to achieve the goal? The referee will follow it and warn it and even sometimes we don’t see that directly, there are special cameras which enable the judge authorities to make the final decision about onside/offside position.  The football is constantly improved with new technologies that are included in the world´s famous games, like  Video Assistant Referees (VAR).

Now, when we know all the rules that are important to follow the game and yo0ur teams, you can pick up the right coffee to do the public viewing. I find it essential since it enhances the national spirit and like in every discipline, motivates the folk to stand up for its pride and flag. It is like a fantastic sport fever that will take pretty much time or let’s say about 22 match days this year, in UEFA EURO 2024, the perfect German summer.  What is also very interesting is that in this venue will play about 24 football teams in 51 matches. There are so many organizing points, volunteers and millions of fans who will give their last money to support the favorite teams during the battlefield. This manifestation will be hold for the 17^th time this year and in Germany for the first time, after 1988. Berlin makes the best public viewing in Germany, but you shouldn’t ignore the fact that all area about The Brandenburg Gate will be devoted to the football, open-air concerts and fans gathering:” With 74,474 seats, the Olympiastadion Berlin is the largest venue for this year’s European Football Championship. In comparison, the Munich Football Arena has 67,000 seats, Dortmund has 61,534, followed by Stuttgart with 50,998 and Hamburg with 50,215. Other venues include Cologne (46,635 seats), Frankfurt am Main (48,057 seats), Gelsenkirchen (49,471 seats), Düsseldorf (46,264 seats) and Leipzig (46,635 seats). 425,000 tickets for UEFA EURO 2024 have been sold for the Olympic Stadium in Berlin alone. Ticket requests have come in from over 170 countries. In Berlin, 1.9 million external guests from around 120 countries are expected to cheer on their teams and watch the football together.”

The football has always been the ticket to some other dimension, full of fun, friends and hopes. When I recall the memories from the childhood, can’t never forget with how much enthusiasm my father followed the matches and even my mom, helped him, by providing snacks and beer. The beautiful summer nights with lot of laughs, arguments who played better or who should have played the best and after all, the joy of being united in that powerful moment of one nation under one ball.

Don’t forget to follow your teams and even if they aren’t yours or yours don’t compete, find the next one you can like and support. It is a sport, it should be fun, it should be you that have fun.