The Panathinaikos F.C. is a local soccer club in Athens whose fans show their pride in any way possible. They wear the colors, the wear the gear, the attendance to games, and even more they tag every single building in Athens with a clover or the name of the team in green spray paint.
When I first came to Athens, I thought that this team, the team that looks like it belongs in Ireland will not be my favorite and that I will not want anything from them. The team does not look Greek and the other two teams from Athens, not to mention their National team, I thought just appeared well. But I was judging them based on appearances and my ideas without getting to know the facts and letting the Greece sink into me.
After tonight, I would say that yes, I just watched the Panathinaikos F.C loose to the A.E.K. which is another team from Athens and one that I thought that I would like better because of their symbol and color scheme, but I was wrong. Going to the Olympic stadium to watch a game that the opponents are form the same city, my mind was changed.
On the way to the game, we took the metro and I thought wow, we will just follow the green and yellow mops of people heading in the direction of the stadium. We will se what side we sit on, and then cheer for that team. Well it did not work out as planned. There was no one on the metro dressed in either color, but when we got off at the stop, that completely changed. There was green everywhere. Green jerseys, hats, scarves, jackets, you name it, it was green and with the Panathinaikos F.C symbol all over it. People were excited and the swarm of excitement led from the metro stop to the stadium. Which we followed cautiously but excited as well to embark on this new experience of watching soccer in a county that adores soccer, together.
We got to our seats and notice, wow; it is all green in here too. We knew that this stadium was used as the Panathinaikos F.C’s home stadium, but since A.E.K. was also an Athens team, we thought that both fans would be out in full support, but there was no yellow to be seen. We went and got our mementos for the game consisting of scarves, jerseys, shirts, and gifts for people at home, and watched the game.
The first half was nothing too exciting with a few nail bitters and jumping out of your seats every so often. But the second half, our dear Panathinaikos F.C, whom which we grew to love and support did not have their best half ever. Within the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half A.E.K. scored on them, then again in right about the 80th minute. And while some fans left, many stayed to cheer their Panathinaikos F.C to whatever the out come was. Which unfortunately was 0-2 in favor of the A.E.K. team. We took this lose for what it was and continued to the metro. There was no rioting or fights that we had been warned about but almost a feeling of, “Wow, I can’t believe that just happened.” It was sad, but to walk among the fans that show their support so proudly, even in defeat, was a great moment. Once we got to the metro, I thought that this solemn feeling would continue, but by the 2nd stop all of the teenage boys and men, who were dressed in green, started to sing out loud on the metro for almost the whole way home. As they sung, they had smiles on their faces and showed off their Panathinaikos F.C spirit despite the loss that they and their team just took. They were still happy, just like all other people of Athens, happy even in the toughest times, smiling and enjoying life, no matter the circumstance.
This then made me rethink my decision of writing off the green team in the beginning. When I had so badly not wanted to like them, in just one night, my feeling greatly altered I realized that I had wanted to like the other teams for all the wrong reasons. That if I had just took the time to learn and see the love of the Panathinaikos F.C that the people of Athens have for this team, then I would have realized that my love for them should not be based upon their uniform pattern but the spirit and the happiness that they bring their fans, even with a lose or a win, the happiness doesn’t leave their faces, and the pure enjoinment of the bliss of live never fades. I right then, thought, why have I been letting all of Athens soak into me like a sponge, but the one thing that I love, the beautiful game, why didn’t I let that love shown by the people of Athens soak in? But with less than two days left in Athens, I am glad I finally let that pure, raw, love f life and the game, no matter what the outcome, soak me to my core. And as I write this tonight, I write it with a smile, knowing that something that has shaped and altered my life in so many way, can still have its way with me today, in a different county, in a different place, and with different people, soccer still has that ability to mold and shape me like nothing else. So I just wont remember a Greek soccer them, but I will remember the Panathinaikos F.C and what their fans and their team opened my eyes even wider, to enjoy, the love of life, the willingness to show pride and love not matter the outcome, and of course, the love of the game.
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