Sports

Football and Ice Hockey

Today’s post is about my „passion“ for sports, especially football (soccer) and ice hockey.

To be honest: I never really liked both sports. I only watched the World championship. And it’s not that I play these sports myself, I just like to watch them, just to clear that up from the beginning.

My brother however is a huge football fan and is supporting Bayern Munich all his life. Through him I got introduced to this sport and watched more and more games. It turned out: I enjoyed it and learned a lot about the rules.

The same with ice hockey. We have a local team and they won the Championship in 1998. I was only 9 years old then, so I don’t remember. My brother (I know, him again ;), He started supporting them and went to all their home games, so I started watching the games on TV. AT first I just couldn’t follow the puck and as a result I couldn’t follow the game either. Well, the more and more I watched it, the easier it got. I still struggle with the rules sometimes though. That was a check, so why is there no punishment?

In the beginning I just watched the games and liked all the handsome players. Yes, I was a Cristiano Ronaldo fan once, don’t ask me why though.

I really liked one Swiss player who played for Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) at the time: His name is Tranquillo Barnetta. I watched more and more games of this team and got to like the sport. I am still supporting the team, although my favourite players left one after another.

Three years ago, right when I came back from Vancouver, the team of Bayer Leverkusen came to Switzerland for a summer camp. Of course I had to go there and see them.Here are some pictures:

Me with Tranquillo Barnetta

Daniel Schwaab

My dream has always been to see them play in the Bundesliga. And this dream came true last August. I went to Stuttgart to see Bayer Leverkusen play in the Mercedes Benz stadium in Stuttgart. It was awesome and such a great day, with shopping first, then walking through the city and then the match and we won!!!

In front of the stadium

In the stadium

Stuttgart, Schlossplatz

Another highlight was even earlier in 2009, when I got the present to see Switzerland vs. Italy in Basel. Of course Tranquillo Barnetta was there too ;)

I went to see the Swiss National teams at their trainings a few times too.

Now I just support my German teame and follow especially the Bundesliga. I am already looking forward tot he World Championship in Brazil next year. Switzerland got lucky in the drawing of the group: France, Ecuador and Honduras. Will you follow the championship too?

Well, now back to ice hockey. When I was younger I didn’t really enjoy going to the games, because our stadium was really old and it was freezing in there. Three years ago the new stadium opened (it’s like in the NHL, just a little smaller) I started watching the matches. You wonder why I know the stadiums in the NHL? Well, I went to see the Vancouver Canucks play when I was there in 2010. I still follow them now and was so devastated when they lost in the Stanley cup finale in 2012.

I started working in our now stadium and also went to see more games. I must say, I really like the sport now and try to go see a game regularly, when I don’t have to work. They are not doing so well at the moment, but they need our support more then ever. I just don’t understand people who just cheer for a team, when they’re doing great. Not real fans...

I have a funny story to tell you about one of the players in our local team (EV Zug). There was a time I was really focused on the handsome ones in the team. There were a few, but all of them had a girlfriend. Well, except for one. Our state is really small so I bumped into him quite a few times and he was always looking at me, but he never said a word and I’m too shy with guys anyway. So I just thought about him a lot. Time passed and I forgot about him and met someone else. That was when the player started to show interest in me again. Great timing, isn’t it? Only when I was “free” again he moved forward and had a girlfriend (don’t like her). Now their married and when I see him, he is still looking at me in this way. Well, well…

Hope you enjoyed my little change of subject and excursion to sports. Which sports do you like?