We live in a generation where Messi and Ronaldo have been the face of world football for more than a decade. Well, it’s not surprising to know that same can be said about their respective clubs too and it has been so since the time of Maradona and Pele.
As a testament to this, I have a die-hard fan of Barcelona FC in my own house in the form of my younger brother and needless to say this has made my life tougher than it already seems.
It’s a known fact that Arsenal can never be compared to clubs like Barca and Real Madrid, or even Man United as a matter of fact as these clubs have the wealth and financial backing unlike any other club in the world and it has been so for a long time, which is probably one of the reasons they have the largest fan base around the world.
On the other side, I am supporting a club that has been hell bent on giving their fans a hard time for over a decade now. The fact that Arsenal have almost taken a decade to sign a replacement for Van Persie, is an example of the madness and misfortune that our club has put us through.
My intention is not to make comparisons but sometimes it feels sad to see other clubs achieving success, while Arsenal remain content with a top four finish but last season was the final nail in the coffin as far as the Gunners logic of treating a top four finish as equivalent to a trophy is concerned.
I mean we were never going anywhere with a Champions League spot and it was almost a cruel joke on the fans like it wasn’t bad enough to see our club lose to teams in England, now we had to lose terribly to teams from all over the world.
Although last season was pretty bad, the season before that(2015-16) will go down as one of the most disappointing for an Arsenal fan in recent times. It is true that we did finish second but it was also true that we had a great chance of ending our long wait for a major silverware and in the end, we squandered the chance like we always do and eventually Leicester were crowned the champions.
I always tell my brother when he feels all dejected after a lost match if you think being a Barca fan is tough, try being a Gooner and you will know what pain really is. To see a club with so much of history and culture, in such a state is truly heartbreaking.
All that said and done, come next weekend, I religiously wear the infamous fly Emirates Jersey and tune into the match with a prayer in my mind and nothing but love and hope for my club, a hope for a better tomorrow, a hope for glory, a hope for pride and a hope at redemption, because at the end of the day we love Arsenal not just for what it is at the moment but for what it was and what it can always be.
