Football creates communities

on pitches, pubs and strangers becoming friends

Blurred photo of a pub where we were watching Champions League

The first time I stepped onto a football pitch in Austria, I didn’t speak enough German to understand a single instruction. It didn’t matter. The ball did the talking.

The first people I met were a mixed group of international and local students. At the moment I was wearing the Calafiori t-shirt from the national team. The first thing I spotted was another Calafiori shirt, Arsenal version. I had to go and talk to that group. They had even stranger kits, by the way. Turns out kit obsession is the most universal conversation starter in any warm-up. An Italian playing football right after his national team failed to qualify for the World Cup is already funny. If he wears the Italian t-shirt, it becomes even funnier.

In the last 15 years of my life, even without having a talent that would have brought me far, I could not for any reason stop playing football. Physical and mental issues were not stopping me from stepping in the pitch and giving the best I could every single year. The same happened here in Austria. One of the most important things I wanted to do was the football course with the University, and I managed to pick the last spot available.

Unfortunately I got injured and I can no longer play, but I enjoyed every single minute I spent on the pitch. I don’t live the injury with sadness, because I am happy about the opportunity I had and maybe I can manage to play again once before coming back. We did little matches 7vs7 and we had a lot of fun. The course did not last long unfortunately for my physical problems, but I would do it again without any doubt.

I remember the first week I wanted to find all the people that could have played football with me and the majority of my contacts were created thanks to that. We met together at the pub to see matches, because it’s important to balance some beer with all that physical activity right? Everybody knows that in a Germanic country, celebrating with a beer after a win is basically mandatory.

No culture, no differences in the pitch. Everybody is the same, even if the stereotype of the Italian defender advancing in the midfield fit me perfectly during the course, and I enjoyed being at the centre of the field. The nicest thing about playing with strangers is that we become the simplest human beings possible. 20 men enjoying their time as friends from childhood, even if we knew each other ten minutes earlier.

This is the magic of a ball, around the streets and in a more serious context as well. I can’t fully explain how spending time together, on a pitch, making mistakes in front of each other makes you socially stronger. This works in every context, but for me with a lot of people it all started in a playing context.

The ball brings war between supporters who can’t stand the rivalry, but peace between people.

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