Before last Tuesday’s Champions
League clash at the Emirates between Arsenal and Bundesliga run-away league
leaders Bayern Munich, I had been trying to enlighten my followers on twitter
on the fact that the Bavarian side are actually a lot better than they think.
Now at the beginning I thought everyone should be aware of this fact. You know,
it being a global village and all with everyone virtually in the know of events
happening everywhere else, but alas! Admittedly, I happen to support both
Arsenal and Bayern so I guess people could not understand exactly what I meant.
Perhaps they thought I was just playing down the Londoners’ chances with the
hope that I was expecting a pleasant surprise. Oh well, I didn’t imply anything
of that kind.
The very first football match I
remember watching was almost 17 years ago was between GorMahia and Reli, mainly
because my uncle played for the latter side. Subsequently, I got to watch an
Arsenal v Manchester United clash where I famously fell in love with the
Gunners. I have to say though, that mostly then I watched only Champions League
football. That’s where I got to know of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona
and Valencia, in that order as they were the semi-finalists of the 1999-2000
season. And I liked the Germans’ red strip more, so I became a Bayern fan. So I
may have known Arsenal first, but the first club I actively followed was the
Bavarian outfit. Of course these days 76.3% of my football talk and thought is
drawn majorly from the English Premier League. It kind of masks the fact that I
actually followed the Bundesliga way before the Premier League. From 2000 to
2004 the Bundesliga and Champions League sums up all the football that I
watched, as they were broadcast live by the national broadcaster, KBC. When I
joined high school in 2005, many are the times I would endure unending,
unedited ridicule for talking about Bayern Munich and German football. What
choice did I have then? None, apart from joining the Barclays Premier League
bandwagon…and of course I have no regrets. I’ve thoroughly loved it. Anyway, I
had to digress a bit, you know, just so you can see I’m not preaching the Die Bundesliga gospel just to appear
sophisticated and politically correct, per se.
So a few nights ago as I sat
watching the two teams I’ve loved the most lock horns, I felt weirdly anxious
and serene at the same time. I wanted Arsenal to win but then again I wanted
Bayern to win too. Win-win situation much? Yes, you could say so. Of course the
game ended 3-1 in favor of the Germans. What actually bemused me was the fact
that my friends both around me and on twitter were genuinely shocked by that
result! I thought I warned them! It’s funny when you do the fore-warning and
people pretend to listen then when it actually comes to fruition, they are
bewildered beyond measure. Maybe I tweet unnecessarily too much.
Germans are traditionally known
for their super efficiency in football, but this wasn’t just an efficient
display. It was measured, matured, calculated, artistically choreographed,
clinically deadly and of course, efficient to near-perfection. And really to be
honest, that’s what I’ve been expecting since the draw was done in December
last year. A glance at the Bundesliga log and what I’ve just said is reinforced
with aplomb! Bayern are an almightily whooping 17 points ahead of second placed
champions, Borussia Dortmund. You may then conclude that basically the other
teams in that league are crap. Well, Dortmund, as far off as they are, topped
their Champions League group that had the champions of
Spain, England and the Netherlands. So are the Bundesliga teams that aren’t Bayern
Munich still shit? Oh, and the league’s other representatives in Europe’s
premier club competition, Schalke 04, also topped their group which had the
champions of Greece, France and of course, Arsenal, whom they soundly beat in
their own backyard.
People talk on and on about the
Premier League and the La Liga as the world’s premier leagues, and maybe
rightly so. I beg to differ though. Most Friday evenings I’m usually tweeting
the hash-tag #FridayNightBundesliga, just a hopeful clarion call for friend and
foe alike to treat their eyes to a sumptuous 90-minute Bundesliga match. I know
of only two others, Sid and the lovely Roxx, who normally respond
encouragingly. Granted, a lot of stuff goes on (or do I say goes down) on a typical
Friday night, but it’s an experience I would hardly miss. Next Friday night,
please do try it. The Premier League may be fast and rather unpredictable. La
Liga may boast the world’s two best players and possibly the best team in the
world. But the Bundesliga has the best organization, the highest fan
attendance, the best pool of top young talent and of course, the next force in
European football, Bayern Munich. Or why do you think Pep Guardiola is going
there as from July 1? Or why did UEFA strip off Serie A one Champions League spot
and hand it to the Bundesliga?
In my native language,
‘Bundesliga’ translates to ‘league of guns’ or ‘league of drums’, depending on
your intonation. Either way, guns represent explosive power while drums
represent constant lively entertainment. Any chances of one of Bayern, Dortmund
or Schalke conquering Europe this May at Wembley? I wouldn’t bet against it. So
come on, go ahead, try a dose of the Bundesliga football that I’ve prescribed.
Once you’re hooked, it’s aesthetically pleasing. You won’t get enough!
