Real Madrid

May 25th 1998 --- The first time I was watching a European Football match . It was a Champions League (CL) final . I saw a team in white jersey winning the match by a single goal from Mijatovic . Its always like that we will love that team and that love is still in me even after 8 years and that team is REAL MADRID F C . A team which has given me happy moments , sometimes thrilling and even very sad moments .

1999: --- I saw only few matches of this team since ESPN and STAR sports were not that popular in my home town during that time and the DD network will air only finals of CL . I saw some highlights of Real playing in league whenever I visited my Uncle's house who has access to ESPN and STAR .

2000: --- This time around I could get to see ESPN and STAR and they were showing enough football . But we could see only CL matches and highlights of Spanish league. This year was a wonderful year for Real in every sense . They were playing so bad in the La Liga that they were in middle of the table. In CL also they were not that impressive . Even in the second round of CL they lost Bayern Munich twice and that too by margins of 4-1 and 4-2. After the Bayern match the situation was like that to play next year's CL they need to win it that year. Then I saw the true character of that team and I started adoring the players of the likes of Redondo, Mcmanaman, Raul , Morientes ... Still I rate them more than the so called " Galaticos " the exception being Zizu Zinedine Zidane . when it came to knockout round the things changed, they beat Manchester United and Bayern Munich to reach the finals . The Quaterfinal leg in Manchester was a classic and the goal created by Redondo was one of the greatest assist I have ever seen . When it came to CL final it was coinciding with my Maths Entrance exam .. on the same night. But couple of weeks before that ESPN got disconnected from our Cable network which was good since I was able to write the entrance exam well and when I came back after exam I realised from internet that Real Madrid won the final to become European champions beating Valencia comprehensively by 3-0 . But the thrill of seeing the team you support lifting the CL trophy live is something different. I saw the hightlights later some time though I saw the goals in the news .

2001:--- The start of Galaticos reigme and that of Fiorentino perez . I was happy to see Figo in our team though the team didn't play well in the CL that year and lost out to Bayern in knockout phase .. revenge for previous year . it was like that in CL the winner of Real - Bayern match determined the winners of CL and Bayern eventually went on to win that year's CL. But it was a good year in La Liga. we beat Barcalona in Nou Camp which is like my all time dream. even now I dream it which is the dream of every Real Fan. They eventually won the La Liga and the last time .. hope they will repeat it next time ;-)

2002: -- The arrival of god " Zidane" to Bernabeu ... Before that I used to hate Zidane when he was playing in Juve ... and I didn't get a chance to see much of his skills. He began to give sort of display of skill , the dribilling which was a treat to watch . Then slowly he became my favourite player in the side. Though Deportivo won the La Liga with Real finishing second , it was a good year in CL . We won the CL for the nineth time . It was a good performance . We beat Bayern again by virtue of a Geremi away Goal in Munich. We beat Barca in the semifinal and I remember Mcmananman and Zidane scoring in Nou Camp . In the final Real met Bayern Leverkusen. That match will be remembered for the Zidane overhead volley goal which won the CL and last minute heroic saves from Iker Casillas too . I was watching Real win the CL live for the first time ... I don't remember how many times I punched the air that night.

2003: --- Season started with the signing of Ronaldo from Inter Milan. The first half of the season was a good one with Ronaldo and Raul scoring lot of goals . The CL campaign ended in the SemiFinals against Juventus . But in the QuaterFinals Real had a good Victory against Manchester United. Ronaldo scored a hatrick in Manchester, thought they won the match 4-3 by virtue of two late Beckham goals. In La Liga Real was fighting with Real Sociedad and it came to the last match where Real won to lift the La Liga . But days after that Perez Reigme sacked the coach Del Boshque since he failed to win CL . there started the problems in Real Madrid. They didn't sign a new contract for Fernando Hierro making him leave the club with empty hands. There was growing speculation regarding Beckham joining the club.

2004: --- David Beckham joined Real Madrid from manchester United . But I think this was the biggest mistake Perez made . He had an option to sign Ronaldinho, but he thought of the merchandise sales . Perez also signed Carlos Quiroz who was Assistant coach in MANU . That season Real played with very badly and Real got some psuedo supporters along with Beckham . The only one good thing Beckham's transfer did was that La Liga was telecasted regularly on star sports . before that only important matches like Real - Barca match were only shown. The management gave Morientes on loan to Monaco which turned out to be a bad thing as his goals sank the CL hopes in the semifinal . I remember watching that match in my hostel in a sort of hostile atmosphere where only a friend of mine and me were Real supporters . Though we were in first four in La Liga it was a terrible year for Real and Quiroz was sacked after that.

2005: --- This year it was totally chaos in Madrid . We had sort of three managers and by the time Luxembergo got charge of the team our team had no chance in La Liga . Perez bought Micheal Owen from Liverpool . and Walter Samuel from Roma . Samuel used to do good job in Roma but I have never seen him doing that in Madrid. Real sold Makelele to Chelsea which turned out to be cruicial as we lost a ball winner. Real lost to Juventus again in CL quaterfinals. Real had another year without any trophies. though towards the end of the season the team was playing well . Luxembergo signed Graverson which made a difference since Real didn't have any ball winners in the midfield. He also signed Woodgate but he was out injured most of the time. Luis Figo was not included in the lineup towards the end of the season and it was certain that he was going to Inter along with Solari who was playing well in the left side of midfield.

2006: --- Another bad year without trophies as La Liga is almost lost as Barca is having a 10 point lead. Luxembergo was sacked in the middle of the season. Due to the lack lusture performance channels stopped airing the matches live. Lost to Arsenal in CL pre quaterfinals . Bought a defender in Sergio Ramos .. remembered for the red cards he won, he is young will improve and strikers in Baptista and Cassano. The best signing was the brazillian attacking midfielder Robihnio . I am sure he will be a star in the future. Real lost to Barca in Bernabue after long time. and atlast ... atlast Fiorentino Perez resigned ..... hope it will do some good for the team

All these 8 years Real Madrid has given me a lot good and bad moments to remember ... how will the team perform in the future ? Can they bring back the lost glory ? ..... hmmm ... I think Real can bounce back ... for that they need to make some smart moves .
--> Ronaldo is planning to move next season .. good thing ... he is no more the brilliant striker now ... he has put on weight as some one said to me His mind is reaching the ball but his body is not.
--> Try hard and sign Ballack who is on free transfer. He also wants to join Real
--> Get a good coach and stick with him for atleast a couple of seasons ... of the likes of Benitez or Capello
--> Get a solid defender rather than going for make shift options
--> Don't loose Casillas as he is Real's last defender of the last few years.
--> Get a good creative player of the likes of Xabi Alonso to fill the place of Zidane

And keep the fingers crossed ... I am sure the fans who are still supporting Real were Real fans before the Galaticos period .... The Real Fans will be saying this in the coming years

"Halla Madrid"

Relationships

When I saw Dil Chahta Hai recently again ( I don't remember how many times I saw tht) , I got caught to a dialogue between Akshay Khanna and Dimple kapadia where she says " This life is so strange that there are some relationships which cannot be given a name ". After I heard that dialogue I was thinking about a such relationship I have.

This regarding my attachment with the family of one of my best friends . I am close to the families of lot of my other friends, but this one is certainly a different one. I cannot give a name to this relationship . I am close to his father and mother like what I am with my father and mother , even sometimes I have even felt thatI am more close to his mother than I am with my mother. I don't know which force is attracting me towards them ... may be some eternal relationships.

I used to be very sad for not having a sister before. I used to give god gaallies sometimes for not giving a sister which is one most wonderful gifts from god...I think so. Now I don't have that feeling, ever since I met his sister. From her I got the love and care which I would have got from a sister if such a person was there . I am happy to say that I got a wonderful sister in her .

Two months back I went to his father's house construction site to help him rather to see the construction ;-) .. there we went to lot of places and each and everyone keep asking whether I was his son ( since they haven't seen him ) ... and uncle was replying he is just "like my son " ....

I think this is the situation which I was mentioning about in the begining ... I am wondering, do we have a name for such relationships ?

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I always had the habit of making friends .... Thing is that If I analyse the friends I have, those friends who are close to me are not whom I delibrately tried to make friends . Sounds confusing right ? . let me explain it . In my whole life I tried to make some people friends , but from my experience I found it out those don't last for long. meanwhile in course of life some acquaintance will develop into deep friendship . you won't know that till it becomes so deep.

I got some friends in that catergories when I started working in Bangalore. Some friends whom I live with in my house . We all were staying in as Paying Guests for the first 3-4 months. At the end of that period we were thinking about renting a house and moving out. there were abt 10 people in that PG. I knew only some 4 of them before I came here , those who were in my college and one was my roommate in hostel and other 2 my classmates. We were first thinking of taking two seprate houses of the whole 10 people . But some people were insiting on staying together which turned out to be a nice thing that has happened to me in my life ...

We some how got a house which can accomodate these 10 people . But now I can proudly say due to the initiative taken by some people at that time I got some friends which by I cannot get anywhere else even if I deliberately pick and choose . Now I cannot think of living seperately in two houses . Once I was talking about the wish of going onsite and one of my roommates told me you can go onsite sometime later , only now we all can stay together. Later I came to know that he had more than one chance of going onsite but he wants to stay with us . That was so touching ... where will you get such friends ?

Meanwhile in my bangalore life I intentionally made some friends . I don't know whether in a longer run I can maintain that friendship or not . even if I try to maintain that , the friends I got in such a manner will maintain that .... will they ?

Atlast

I used to smile at people who post there blogs, though I used to read some people's blogs . But atlast I too fell into this trap of writing blogs :-)

Just like in any award function I am doing a thanksgiving job to start of with .. I thank all those friends who are reading this delirious work . I thank Sugz for pointing me to this blog spot. I thank Lotus SmartSuite for providing vocabulary support. and for IBM for giving me ample time for me to write these blogs and last but not least my boring and aberrant life.

From tomorrow onwards I will try my level best to write in my blogspot regularly.