If you ever fancy watching a football game in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan, you should be aware of the “changes” in procedures to fan behavior, recently introduced, to curb hooliganism. The Uzbeki FA introduced the following new guidelines for fans attending football matches: – Police to…
As I read through a script in the memoirs from the mind of the young and guiltless Ernesto Che Guevara, I come across him pondering over a thought as he takes in the scenic beauty of Machu Picchu in Peru: How is it possible to feel nostalgia for…
Lucas Moura displaying his very prized possession. The very shirt that could have caused some serious damage. Fans in Brazil do take their football seriously. In a game between Sao Paulo and Coritiba this past weekend, club rivalry was taken to another level. After the game Sao Paulo’s…
I was ready. Ready with some paint. Blue and red. Ready to go ballistic with the car horn, which would have been a strange occurrence on these streets, for I was part neither of a wedding, nor a club victory nor a celebration of national importance. But the…
On June 9th, 1990, at 5:00pm (Italy time), United Arab Emirates (UAE) made history by playing their first World Cup match against Columbia under Brazilian manager Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira in front of a crowd of approximately thirty thousand at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna. The same year…
When the season finally comes to a finish, there is a sudden lull in life that a football supporter finds himself/herself in. There is the pain of waiting three months to see some serious action again. Three months of Saturdays lost Saturdays and Sundays not knowing what to…
As I stroll across a concrete path lined up with trees on either sides casually sporting my Spanish national team jersey (fear not readers, this is not a telling incident), a 9-yr-old boy comes running up to me, uttering, “Sir, my name is Raul too! And I have…
Lebanon – the country, which at times is referred to as the “Switzerland of Middle East”, is famous for its beautiful landscapes, delicious cuisine, openness to Western culture and lastly, the toughness of its population. It is quite obvious, as the country had managed to reestablish itself after…