A funny thing happened this morning. As I got ready to go to work, I looked in my wardrobe. Sifting through the t-shirts I have worn many, many times, I came across something. A red piece of fabric with the words 'Fly Emirates'.
Indeed, I had found my dusty Arsenal shirt, and I put it on for the first time in many a month.
I am a slightly jaded football fan, a fact brought about due to the fact that I work in a sports news room and am thus surrounded by sport the entire day (no, I'm not complaining) and generally do not feel a connection to the people representing my club, Arsenal, on the pitch.
This is not an article about the downfall of football in this country though, as I am entirely pragmatic about the 'money and sport' situation, but rather about the excitement that tonight's match against AC Milan has managed to ignite inside me.
I have always been a massive fan of the Champions League. Each and every year, I happily sit through the horrible long group stage draw, watching a bad looking version of Al Pacino take a disgracefully long time to take some balls out of a pot. I also thoroughly enjoy the much maligned group stage, which some people have suggested is a bit of a waste of time (understandable).
The knock-out stage is what it's all about though, and once again I feel the fire in my belly which is so often missing when I watch football matches. Arsenal are playing AC Milan, and only one club can emerge victorious. It's enough to make my stomach feel as though it is ready to unload at any minute.
Whilst being a very commercial tournament, the Champions League has managed to maintain a mystique to it, a holy grail type feeling. It is the ultimate cup to win. The majority of football fans class a championship victory as more important than the European Cup, and I can see where they are coming from.
Consistency is tested over the course of nine months and ultimately the best team always comes out on top.
This is not necessarily the case with the Champions League.
The best team rarely does win the tournament, barring Barcelona in 2005 (it hurts me to write that), but I think that is what makes the competition so endearing. 32 teams start the competition, and perhaps 16 of those can claim to be contenders to win the title.
Some Arsenal fans will look for a positive if we lose tonight, and suggest that we can focus all of our energies on the last ten league games of the season. I will not be one of those people.
To me, the Champions League is the competition which holds not only the most excitement but also the most prestige, and to see Arsenal lift the trophy in Moscow come May would be a dream come true.
Arsenal play AC Milan tonight in the San Siro in a knock out match. I have to keep telling myself this fact to believe it. Well, it beats playing Wigan at the JJB Stadium anyway.
11 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Andrew McNair about 1 year ago
Thanks Tim. Think your article will please most except maybe the Wigan fans.
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
arsenal will do the best
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
ac millan will win are you dom
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
arsenal grese dum fem
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
ac milan is ultra shit wen kaka leaves da team gona be crap
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
fuck arsnal
Edit Comment Cancel
Matt S about 1 year ago
Good article, shame you cannot stop the idiots above contributing and posting their “wisdom”!
Edit Comment Cancel
Tim Love about 1 year ago
Cheers Matt and Andrew- anonymous, what is wrong with you?!
Edit Comment Cancel
Zach Tabor about 1 year ago
Great match, I watched it from over in the US, so I don't know much about Football, but I heard that this is the first time an English team beat AC Milan.
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
I am from the US, so I don't know much about football, but I heard this is the first time an English team beat AC Milan. Great game!!!
Edit Comment Cancel
Zakariya Omar about 1 year ago
hey ma nigga we beat many time arsenal this year is best team in the premier league .
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.