The Bernabeu Experience
By Ellen Marks
It doesn’t seem too much of an exaggeration to say that football in Madrid is close to a religion. From what I’ve observed, the games are events which must be watched, either in person or on TV at home. While I’ve watched many of this season’s games on TV, last night I saw my first game in person. Watching Raul score at Bernabeu was definitely a much more exciting experience than my usual couch-potato TV futbol intake.
After buying my tickets- the cheapest ones possible, I decided to emerge myself in the Real Madrid team spirit. I bought an official Real Madrid scarf and met some friends before the game for tapas and cerveza. A little tipsy, I joined the masses in the hike up Bernabeu’s stairs. When I arrived at my seat, I found a man sitting in it. Being foreign to Bernabeu, I wasn’t about to ask him and his friends to relocate. No worries though, a friend and I found some spare seats nearby and took them. I was amazed at how well I could see, even though my ticket was one of the cheapest in the house.
Though I hadn’t attended a futbol (soccer) game in years, I really enjoyed myself. With the help of a few shouting fans, I found myself familiar with the players names, and was shouting “Pepe!! Venga!!” before I knew it. After numerous “offsides” calls, I developed a deep grudge against the referees and picked up a few new Spanish swear words from the men sitting behind me. I loved throwing my hands up and yelling “Gool!!” with the rest of the stadium.
The Real Madrid fans have a great amount of faith in their team. As the score tipped back and forth between Mallorca and Madrid, the fans refused to panic. Their confidence paid off, when Madrid won 4-3. Feeling proud to be associated with the winning team, I went home accomplished. I know there are a few home games coming up in November and December, and I’ll definitely be sitting somewhere in Bernabeu’s cheapest seats, cheering on Casillas, Robinho and Gago.