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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

It's quite fantastic, but last year i forced myself to watch a champions league final that i dreaded to watch because i couldn't bear to see either team win, because of one reason alone. it was to be my tenth european cup final in a row. this year's is eleven. i don't need the preservation of a record to spur me on tonight. i've been all catalan for weeks now and will continue to be till the final whistle and, hopefully, well beyond. here's ten years of european cup finals for me.

Was in Melbourne. We came home after a late night, I think, and I popped on the tv. I was a new Juve fan at the time, and was heartbroken at the score, with something like 10 minutes to go. I would later realise that this was their third successive final and I guess that made me proud.

Already a four-year Liverpool fan, this one was a no brainer. That same season, United snuck in two late goals to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup (I think) and my heart bled for Bayern over this one. Distinctly remember staying up for this one.

Remember watching this and thinking (a) who is this Valencia, (b) is this what it's like in the Spanish league, and (c) this does not feel like a cup final.

Was somewhat chuffed for Bayern because I saw it as poetic justice for losing final three years prior. Today, I regret it. It's a shame that Valencia never won Big Ears in their two giddy years reaching the finals.

How to forget that Zidane goal? I followed Leverkusen's road to the final very closely, through a magazine show on SBS called World Soccer. And I remember supporting them helplessly, hoping in some way that Madrid would not be able to pull off the boring win. Ok, so it wasn't a boring win. But it was still boring.

Ah the hype. Was up on the couch with Win and Ern (Milanese) only to witness my Italian side bow out with some piss poor penalties.  European Cup final support-success eludes me one more time.

I was rooting for Monaco on this one. Morientes was inspiring. Their victory over Madrid was the highlight of that season's tournament. Porto was vile. They'd been vile since beating Celtic in the UEFA Cup final the year before. Again, the team I back loses. 

Until this. This glorious cup final to end all cup finals. This masterpiece of drama, football, inspiration and fandom stirred to become the pinnacle of my 24-year career as a fan of the sport. Yes, I was on my knees. Yes, I was crying like a baby. Am damn proud of it.

Was living out on my own already but made the trip back to Gasing to catch this with Win. For the second successive year, I celebrate a European Cup victory. I'd already been partial to Barcelona since the late 90s, so to finally see them succeed in Madrid's sport - and deny Arsenal at the same time - was quite sweet. 

Oh the heartbreak. I grumbled all night with Adrian and Chris half winding me up, half probably not really knowing whether to feel sorry for me. I kicked at a mamak chair (lightly). Both teams were poor. We were just poorer. We had the more romantic road to the final, taking out Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea. But they got their revenge. It gets worse.

Grudgingly went downstairs to catch the game and was quite pleased that no one was winning it until the mamak closed midway through the second half and chased everyone out - a move that shocked me enough to handle either team winning. Drove out to Kayu to finish off the game. It stretched till penalties. B****rd Terry. I will never forgive you. Hah.

And so, tonight, I begin my second decade of catching European Cup finals. I still call it the European Cup. I grew up reading books that called it the European Cup and even if the competition's name has changed, I will always prefer to call it by the name of the tropy. Here's to ten more years.

Genusfrog [ 4:55 pm ]