The Best Most Exciting Football Match of All Times (My opinion)
The year is 2005. By now I have been living in Toronto Canada for almost 35 years since I emigrated from my homeland of Israel. Since then I have been back on multiple occasions to see my parents (now deceased) my older sister and her family and my younger brother and his. But 35 years of separation hit home the old adage: “Out of sight out of mind”. For years I craved the opportunity to spend some quality time and bond with my brother. We did it once before when we met in Paris for the European Championship Final in Parc du France when Real Madrid beat Valencia 3:0.
Istanbul is a short flight from Israel so I decided to surprise my brother and come to Israel with 2 tickets to the 2005 European Championship final between Liverpool and AC Milan. Fast forward this was by far the best most exciting football match I had the privilege to attend in my lifetime. Many Football pundits and avid fans tend to agree with me. But my story is about two estranged by circumstances brothers with a single bond: Passionate love for Football. We arrived in Istanbul 48 hours before kick – off. Istanbul was painted Red. 40,000 Liverpool fans descended on the city on every corner, pub, square and roof tops. The atmosphere was totally crazy, Milan fans were few as most of them arrived by bus from Italy on the day of the match. We are now sharing a taxi with 3 intoxicated Scousers on our way to the new Ata Turk stadium in the outskirts of Istanbul. The driver must have been a Formula I driver in disguise. We will forever remember it as the scariest experience. We were praying as the driver sped at 150 KM /hr. on a winding highway overtaking every car in our way. We are checking in with by now at least 10,000 Italian fans and 40,000 wild Scousers. We returned to the city after the game at about 3 O’clock in the morning and had a quick breakfast while watching thousands of Liverpool fans tearing the city down with songs and screams of delight (no violence). These few days will forever remain in both our memories and no one can take this wonderful experience away from us. Oh, the match? I already said: “It was the best, most exciting Football match EVER. See for yourself!
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