Tips to learn and understand the Beautiful Game

Light-bearers of the Beautiful Game

In India, we hear a lot of people say, “I don’t really like football, Cricket is far more enjoyable!” and there are a fair few who admit they do not enjoy the sport because they do not actually understand it properly. I have a few friends who admitted they wanted to enjoy the game, but could not actually do so because like I have already said, they do not understand the game. By saying, “they do not understand the game”, I am certainly not talking about its rules.

For instance, people cannot understand the hype associated with the domestic leagues nor their importance because unlike cricket, the majority of football is played in these leagues and careers are made and ended in the camps of the teams of these leagues. Footballers crying on the pitch after losing the final of a club event is not something most cricket fans are used to. Most Indians watch only the World Cup fixtures involving the giants of football like Brazil, Argentina or Germany. They tend to give the others a miss. So, when these friends ask me how can they ‘understand’ football, I kind of feel sorry for them as they are missing out on the best thing in the world. Needless to day, I feel annoyed too as more than the game, they are interested in impressing their fellow mates around them with their apparent football knowledge.

I thought I could do something on my part to help these guys out. I decided to suggest some ways which would help them enjoy the game a lot more than they do now, and instead of being just a fake fan, they would end up being a true passionate follower of the most beautiful game in the world.

So, if you are such a person out there who wants to be a part of the footballing fraternity and are seriously interested in understanding the game, the following suggestions are for you. I am sure you would find them pretty useful:

1) Watch matches from the Domestic Leagues:- The first thing you would want to do is watch live matches and a fair amount of them. My advise would be to start with matches involving the top teams like Manchester United, Barcelona or Real Madrid as they arguably play the most attractive football. Once you begin enjoying the goals and the display of emotions by the players and the coaches, you would yourself find taking more interest in the games of the other low placed teams as well. This is the first thing one does to understand the game better, and I seriously cannot understand why haven’t you started doing so already. You seriously cannot hope for someone to hand you an invitation card inviting you to watch a game of football! Trying to ‘understand’ football without watching the games is like eating a fruit without plucking it from the tree.

2) Read articles on matches you have watched:- I won’t be surprised one bit if you do not understand the offside rule.For that, you have to ask someone who knows it to explain it to you. However, to understand the tactical side of the game, read articles about the matches you have recently watched. After you have watched enough matches and read enough articles on them, I am pretty sure you would have a fair idea about the technical aspect of the game.

3) Watch Pre-Match and Post-Match analysis shows:- Watching them would only help you improve your knowledge of the game. You would soon realize the significance of various formations, improve your idea about the players involved, and soon understand what the hype is actually about.

4) Read about the characters involved:- Football is a game of characters. From the humble Lionel Messi to the not so modest Cristiano Ronaldo; from the controversial Pele to the man who lost it all to drugs, Maradona; from the flamboyant David Beckham to the wizard Thierry Henry, everyone has a history. Reading about these men would not only increase your respect for them, but also for the game.

Garrincha – an inspiration

5) Try to know the story of Football:- Football is not just a game, it’s a story. It’s the story of men like Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been maintaining Manchester United at the top tier for the past 26 years. It’s the story of men like Arsene Wenger, who have fallen from grace but continue to have the trust, love and support of thousands of fans. Football is the story of men like Garrincha who, inspite of having numerous birth defects, still managed to earn himself a spot among the greatest players of all time. There have been fights and murders in the name of the game, the sport was even banned in the England in the past due to its rough nature. But still, the game went on to become the most popular global sport. There is more to the game than just 22 players running after the ball, there is much more to it than mere controversies and gossips. On the pitch, there are 22 men on the path to immortality, 22 men locked in a battle to glory, 22 men who, in 90 minutes, can earn the devotion and respect of all the people watching them play. Some people are more talented than others, some people are less gifted who make it up with hours of hard work and sweat and blood. Football is definitely not just a game, and being a football fan is a journey, not a destination.

6) Look past the controversies:- Most of you out there only care to know about the latest gossips and controversies associated with the players playing the game. For example, if you only read the gossip column, you would know John Terry as a man who was caught cheating on his wife with his team mate’s girlfriend. But you won’t know the fact that he is considered one of the best players to have ever donned the Chelsea blues and continues to attract the admiration of footballers the world around. You would know Luis Suarez as a racist but not acknowledge him for his amazing skills as a forward. Look past the petty news for across the dark meadows of controversies, and you will see that there is a fountain of dedication, passion and obsession for the game.

If you take these suggestions seriously, I believe, after a few months, you would be a die-hard football fanatic.