OK, I am bored out of my mind now, which is why I am writing this, I am not usually sentimental, but this is better than (insert jerking off joke here)

This the story of my father, who like all of us, is a fan of football.It is the story of his rise in the football sphere, and then his fading away.

OK here goes;

My father was a footballing prodigy in my hometown. He is still remembered as the best player ever born here. Fantastic with both feet, a great dribbler, a heading ability, nice stamina and bursts of speed, and most importantly, a unique footballing brain. He was the play maker for his team. At age 13, he was introduced to the 16 and above team. And started for them despite being physically inferior. In a 3 year span, that team won the nationals two times (notice that the teams competing for the title were just about 20, and they played in a cup format), and the regional three times. They had to lie about my father's age to allow him to play.

at 16, father was arguably the best talent in the country, his attention however was divided with school. Football was considered a ruffian's game by the upper class (which we "used to" belong to). Still, my father would skip school, invent excuses, to play the game, and be able to compete with his team. My country was not, and is not a footballing country, and hence, we had no club scouts at all. However, a couple of Italians who worked as engineers noticed my dad. And contacted some friends in AC Milan, and Lazio about the possibility of my father being tested there. The Milan scout came in and was very impressed by my father, and they offered a semi-contract. My grandfather refused, and threatened to kick dad out of the house if he ever thought about that again.

That was the last my dad heard from the Italians.

At 18, real competition was afforded for the first time. The nation was taking the nationals more seriously now. My fathers team reached the finals, people said that team was the most exciting team in the tournament. However, they lost the finals to the capital team in a dubious match. You see, my town is of a different sect than the rest of the country, and we are heavily discriminated against. In the road to the final, we had 17 goals disallowed in 5 games. In the final, 6 goals wire disallowed, and we only lost due to 3 penalties and two ridicilous red cards. No one from that team was scouted for the national team, and the capital club offered my father a contract. The condition was for him to change his sect.

My father refused.

Next year my father went to study, and that was that. He still plays football now, and coaches an amateur team for a hobby. Once at 37, the bank was having a tournament of 8 teams. My father was laughed at, none could comprehend the idea that this guy with the balloon stomach (my father looks more than what he weighs, he looks like he swallowed a beach ball, but it is still a beach ball) could be any good. Boy where they wrong, my father scored 5 and assisted 8 in the tournament. After that, he participated with the team of the bank against the professional capital club (the same club he lost to in the final) in a charity match. It was meant to be a fun and games match. My father had another idea, from the onset he started rallying his team up, and playing like the possessed. The other team understood that they would be a laughing stock if they lost to a team with middle aged men and beach ball man as captain. They did become a laughing stock. The look I saw from my father that day was a look of triumph, content, and great sadness at what was lost.

I am not saying dad could have been a Maradona.
Simply, I am highlighting the role of chance in the discovery of footballers.
Many are talented, yet few are seen.
Talent is then sculpted, how you are sculpted is also chance affected.
Then you go through your career, a career that at its starts is as fickle as the wind.
If you make it, be careful, one penalty miss can make you a Ballack (2nd place forever).
That is why I get furious when I see people like Ronaldinho, to waste such a career when many were not as fortunate.

Discuss

sounds cool but i would like to know country and city por favor...

It's true that luck plays a huge part in football, as it does in evertying else in this world. WHo knows maybe we just missed on the greatest footballer of all times, because he was not lucky enough to be discovered. You can be very talented, but you also have to be lucky to be discovered.

About your dad's story. Truelly sad man.

Interesting story and one I enjoyed (to an extent, considering it was sad) reading. It is too bad your Father was not able to live out his dreams of playing in Italia.

Though, I am sure he would have accepted if it were a Juventus scout who came.

But why did your Father not pursue football later ? Like at age 21 when his Father could not kick him out or control and delegate his life ? Perhaps there is more to the story, but fascinating nonetheless.

I come from a country where family is very important, somehow like Italy but more extreme. My father would never dream of disobeying his father. Also, by 21 he was absorbed in finishing his Bachelor's, then after that he pursued his Master's degree. I was born while he was 22, and he started working and studying for the CFA. Also, it is difficult to pursue football in the U.S (where he went to study), I am sure he would have thought about it if he went to Italy or England.

Also, if you miss a chance, it is difficult for another to appear. So grasp all that you can in life.

P.S: Excuse me, but I will not be revealing the name of my country and hometown from, I plan to make a contest out of it later .

Here is some more context:

*My town is a minority, a discriminated against one at that.
*It is still impossible for anyone from my town to be in the NT.

A conducive enviornment is very important for any talent to emerge. That is what your father lacked.

He was indeed discovered as he was offered a semi-contract, but he did not receive support from those around him. It is not really anyone's fault as it just happens most times.

However, i feel that your father should have kept on playing and involved with the game at a higher level. He probably could have become a good manager later on.

A fascinating story, thank you for sharing. I have seen something similar with my friend, he was a real talent and a prodigy but he broke his leg twice while playing once when he was 15, and once when he was 17.

For which country are we talking?

Somewhere in the middle east, back in the 60's

a lovely story but with not so lovely ending, in term of football

sad.....

lebanon?

iran or iraq?

iran is not middle east

theaguia wrote:iran is not middle east

ops...sorry

may be iran is a little bit right of middle east