9 things football fans would like to see in 2015
The past year was, pardon the cliché, full of highs and lows. The underdogs captivated us with their magical runs while the elites, though challenged, continued to rule the roost. Atletico had a dream season – they finishd with a league title and a UEFA Champions League runner-up trophy, while Real Madrid finally won the much coveted La Decima.Post-Ferguson Manchester United were in shambles, while their noisy neighbours pipped the impressive but ultimately unlucky Liverpool to the title. The year also saw “The Special One” return to his old stomping ground, albeit a bit mellowed down after his experience at Madrid.The year was also, on many levels, more of the same. Bayern dominated the Bundesliga, while their closest rivals Dortmund ended the year in the relegation zone, making it one of the most one-sided leagues. Juventus dominated in Italy and so did PSG in France.The kings of the game – Messi and Ronaldo – continued to be a cut above the rest, and the pretenders to their throne – Bale and Neymar – had to play second fiddle to them. Barring England and surprisingly Spain this year, the major Leagues were one-sided affairs.Then along came the FIFA World Cup, the one time in four years when everybody is a football fan, chanting names of superstars.The demise of Spain was a sorry sight but then again, no one wants to see one side monopolize the game like what Australia did a few years back in cricket. But this was no underdog story. The Germans were no pushovers and their decade-long work behind the scenes finally paid dividends at the grandest stage.For all us Indians, the ISL was the icing on the cake, giving us a glimpse of glamorous football. 2014 may well be looked back as the year when India made its presence felt in the world of football.But enough of reminiscing. Let us look forward to 2015, and here is a list of things we football fans can, or should, expect in the new year.
#1 Homecoming for Shakhtar Donetsk
Come rain, hail or storm, football lives on. Despite facing political turmoil and having been forced to move away from home, Shakhtar Donetsk have continued to march on. They are the only team in the Champions League that play all their matches away from home.
Despite all their victories and impressive performances at the Champions League, they unfortunately never get to share it with their fans in their city. The Russian annexation of the Crimean region has meant that the troubled city engulfed in the midst of a war cannot host any of the matches of its team. Instead, Shakhtar have had to play all of their home games more than 600 miles away – in Arena Lviv.
It was heartening to see that despite the speculation of many wanting to leave the club due to unrest, the players have stayed back and shown solidarity at such a testing time. Luiz Adriano’s five goal haul and the club’s subsequent qualification for the knockout rounds of the Champions League were rare moments of joy and a tribute to people from a city where there are not many things to be optimistic about.
Let’s hope this year the Crimean region regains peace and Shakhtar can head back to their fortress. If they are so dangerous away, imagine their performances in front of their own crowd. This is more than just hope; rather, it’s a prayer that people in this region can have their joy back, because some things are bigger than football, even if still an integral part of it.