25 words that led to a football trip of a lifetime
Football fan Gene Schirripa finished the sentence and hit 'enter.' What happened next was a football experience courtesy of LaLiga, that he will never forget.
I never thought that 25 words could send me half way across the world on the footballing adventure of a lifetime, but thanks to beIN SPORTS Australia, Foxtel and LaLiga, that’s exactly what happened to me this month.
The competition seemed straightforward enough: explain in 25 words or less why LaLiga is the best football league in the world.
The prize seemed almost too good to be true: a trip to watch fourth-placed Atletico Madrid host third-placed Sevilla, go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Madrid club and possibly meet the players.
I hit ‘send’ on my entry and promptly forgot about it.
Then a few weeks later the phone rang. I could barely believe it. My entry had won and I was on my way to Madrid, with my dad - Paul - in tow.
After soaking up the lively cosmopolitan streets of the Spanish capital, the cheap beers and abundance of jamon (ham) in the tapas bars, the LaLiga Experience began on the Saturday morning before the match. We met the fellow winners and journalists from Australia, Italy and Serbia.
Our first taste of the rich football culture in Madrid came with a tour of Estadio Vicente Calderon, home of Atletico Madrid since 1966. The sentimental aspect of the tour was enhanced by the fact that the club will relocate to a new stadium in the coming months. A trip through the museum immediately gives you an idea of the rich history of the place. After a first glimpse of the pitch and surrounding 55,000-seat arena, we were treated to the players’ matchday experience.
For a short time, our minds ran wild as we followed the footsteps of the heroes we have watched grace the Calderon. A personalised jersey lay on each of the player’s bench spots, and we placed them on and walked out the tunnel with the Atletico Madrid club song blaring through the speakers. It was a truly special and authentic experience.
While Atletico was our host, it was essential to get some context and explore the other side of town. We visited one of football’s modern cathedrals, The Santiago Bernabau Stadium, home to the most successful side in European Club Football – Real Madrid. After a typically Spanish lunch in the stadium’s restaurant, we learnt about the history of Real Madrid in its museum and gained first-hand insight into why the club has been so successful with a tour of its modern facilities. Two things become apparent to me at this stage: Atletico seems a humble working class club, while Real Madrid represents the elite end of town. Despite their differences, collectively both sides make up an essential part of what I believe is the ‘Capital of the Football World’.
Sunday in Spain is game day and a clash between third and fourth place awaited us. Anticipation was building with all the nation’s papers and 24-hour football channels all focused on the game. After a welcome from club legend and 1995-1996 La Liga-winning captain Roberto Solozabal, and a walk behind the scenes of the corporate area of the Vicente Calderon, the magnitude of Atletico Madrid as a club and its level of professionalism started to hit home. Prior to the game, we mixed with representatives of both supporters clubs and shared stories about the fan experience in Spain and Australia. Then we hit the streets with the fans as the sun beamed over the Calderon; perfect conditions for such an important match.
As the fans began to pile in we went pitch-side for interviews and to get close to the team warm-up, before finding our seats in the grandstand. Coming from Australia, we truly appreciated a purpose-built rectangular football stadium, with fans sitting right “on-top” of the action, making the stadium a true footballing cauldron and providing for great viewing of the tactical battle that was to unfold.
We were treated to an Antoine Griezmann masterclass as Atletico dominated and hit a 3-0 lead before conceding a late consolation goal on the break. Atletico was superior in every aspect of the game despite a sloppy start to the match. “Vamos Atleti” and a host of other chants were sung with passion by all the Atletico fans, led by a core group of flag-waving and drum-beating Ultras behind the goals.
Once club legend Fernando Torres came on, adoring fans sang his name as they spurred on their team to victory. The team and the crowd fed off one another, with the fans taking Sevilla and their small away bay of fans out of the contest.
After the impressive result, the true highlight of the experience awaited us as we got to mix with the heroes of the day. Names such as Fernando Torres, Antoine Griezmann, Koke, Gabi, Diego Godin, Tiago Mendes, Felipe Luis, Diego Simeone and Jan Oblak posed for photos and signed our jerseys.
To be given the chance to witness to the legends who we adore on television in the flesh, and share even a brief conversation with them, was truly priceless. It is access that not many fans are able to enjoy, and a day I am truly grateful for.
The LaLiga Experience was promoted as a once-in-a-lifetime one, and as a fan, it truly was. It is difficult to imagine another opportunity in which we will be able have that access to a club of such enormity, its fans, players and the overall game day experience.
The trip opened my eyes to the level of professionalism at the elite level, the attention to detail, and the enormity of a European football club such as Atletico Madrid. I experienced what football culture is all about, and how special the result is when the game becomes entrenched into a society and culture. In Spain, the game and the league is sacred, and matchday felt like a spiritual experience.
Vamos Atleti.