By T. Avineshwaran and Subash Elangovan
We called the trip a Yatra. Yatra means a procession or pilgrimage, especially one with a religious purpose.
Our minds we clear, we heard chants in various temples, and we came back to Malaysia wanting more.
Imagine listening to the chants and prayers in Nou Camp, Westfalenstadion and The Emirates – We would gladly stay at one of these places for a lifetime. Sorry Amma and Appa (Mother and Father in Tamil), football is a religion too.
We went to Italy, Germany, Spain, France, England and Netherlands to check out 16 stadiums of top European teams and let us tell you all that we would do it again if we have the time and money.
Some of you might be wondering how we did it. Here we have listed our experiences in each country. This is part two of our Footy Yatra.
Paris est l'amour
The great Babe Ruth once said, "Paris ain't much of a town."
Before going to Paris, we told ourselves, it is just going to be one of those overrated cities, but once we step foot there, we were left licking our wounds.
Paris was a real belter and to be honest, we were battered by its beauty and charm. Wished we had a long time to marvel at its beauty.
For our trip to Paris, we checked out Parc des Princes. With a seating capacity of 48,583 spectators, it has been the home pitch of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain Football Club since 1974.
Sadly, the stadium tour was not available at the time because the club was renovating the museum. But once impressed me was the club’s love for the players. Around the stadium, there are poster billboards of current and former players.
Described in French as a 'caisse de résonnance' ('box of sound') due to its tight dimensions and the pressure-cooker atmosphere created by its home fans, it is one of the continent's most emblematic and historic venues.
Sadly, the stadium tour was not available at the time because the club was renovating the museum. But once impressed me was the club’s love for the players. Around the stadium, there are poster billboards of current and former players.
As we checked out the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees and Jardin des Tuileries, we felt we should have stayed longer there and also watched a match there. Maybe it is time to rekindle our love for the city soon and watch a game in Parc des Princes.
We came home
In Malaysia, we call this 'Terbaik'! Conquering the London Derby and we were there to witness it. It was just a fantastic experience, and as an Arsenal fan, we wish we could experience this all the time.
Maracana, San Siro or Glora Bung Karno may be your Mecca, but The Emirates will remain our shrine for a very long time.
When you see Arsenal play or score a goal, it's fantastically exciting, and at times, you're lost for words.
On Sept 24, they scored three against London rivals Chelsea, and we were in a state of euphoria when Mesut Ozil scored the third goal.
In Malaysia, we call this 'Terbaik'! Conquering the London Derby and we were there to witness it. It was just a fantastic experience, and as an Arsenal fan, we wish we could experience this all the time.
Lost our voice, blended with the crowd and teased the Chelsea fans, it was an experience to savour for a lifetime. To us, Emirates is our Mecca! This is more than a dream - It is heaven!
To be honest, Arsenal’s win was the highlight of our whole trip. We hesitated to get the tickets because it was Chelsea, a bogey team to us for many years. The ticket was pretty pricey, but we were hell-bent on watching a match in The Emirates, and it was worth every single penny.
London, Liverpool and Manchester - Three different cities with three different tales and we were there to check out the stadiums of top-flight English teams,
Besides Arsenal, we enjoyed some of the English architecture and also their love for history. Oscar Wilde once said the man who can dominate a London dinner table could dominate the world.
We didn't dominate London, but it gave us some renewed hope on life.
We had the opportunity to check out the Theatre of Dreams, and it was beautiful although we did not feel any sense of connection due to our allegiance to Arsenal. If you are a Manchester United, you should watch a game here. When we asked one of the fans, they gushed about the atmosphere and how things are changing under Jose Mourinho.
We also checked out Etihad Stadium and to be honest; we asked ourselves if the team plays here. When we were there, a marathon was going on, and no one was there for the club’s stadium tour, and you can count the number of people at the Club Shop. It was weird, and we decided to snap pictures of the stadium.
We also checked out Anfield and Goodison Park and one thing we can say to everyone, whether it is Everton or Liverpool, people here live and breathe for their clubs. Exciting journey and we can finally say we experienced a cold rainy night in Liverpool!
To cap off our trip to London, we visited Wembley Stadium and Stamford Bridge. We did not go for the stadium tours but just opted to walk around the stadiums and see what they mean to the fans.
For five days, we went from Anfield to Emirates, and we can only say one thing - Football is indeed a beautiful game. People here are passionate about their clubs, and it was fun interacting with them. As we bid farewell to London, we decided to be naughty in Amsterdam.
Trust them to make things beautiful
After checking out the Amsterdam Arena, we witnessed the academy training near the stadium, and I've got to say, Dutch football is in safe hands. The young players showed great technique and understanding, and as a Malaysian, I was impressed with the training method.
To cap off our European football yatra, we went to Amsterdam.
To be honest, it was an interesting city. The moment you step foot in the city, you can smell weed. Not to forget, our 'interesting' encounter at the bus station.
Some tourists say Amsterdam is a sin city, but in our opinion, it is a city of freedom. It's always vibrant and alive. Amsterdam is a breath of fresh air in a world that is seemingly filled with hatred and deceit.
When we to Amsterdam Arena, we were in awe of its architecture, and we were eager to watch a match there, but sadly, we were not allowed to watch the game against Standard Liege because we were not members of the club.
Being a big fan of Johan Cruyff and Dennis Bergkamp, we wanted to check out why this club is so revered in Europe and the Netherlands. They revolutionised football with their tactics, and if that is not enough, they produce world class players every year.
The stadium tour was brilliant as we reminisced the team’s past and present and appreciated the way the club was being run. Professional, passionate and driven - The team may have lost its mojo in recent years but mark my words; they will surely bounce back in the future.
After checking out the Amsterdam Arena, we witnessed the academy training near the stadium, and I've got to say, Dutch football is in safe hands. The young players showed great technique and understanding, and as a Malaysian, I was impressed with the training method.
They showed great interest, and you know what's impressive, their parents were there to encourage them. If your kids have the potential, push them, don't stop them.
We certainly missed this place and the rest of Europe. One thing is for sure, we found ourselves back and told ourselves to live life to the fullest and enjoy life.
Sometimes, a sojourn is a must to get yourself back on track. Merci, grazie, gracias, bedankt, danke and thank you Europe - We will surely come back for more.