Part Wahid – Naïve
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I am from Oman, and in 1997/98 I was part of my school’s under-9 football team. Our coach suggested that we should all support a team at the upcoming World Cup (1998) so we could watch good football and become more passionate about the game.
I said, “Sure Coach, I’ll support Oman!” 🇴🇲… I was young and didn’t really have a football-mad family, so I didn’t have much information on what the World Cup was or who was in it.
The coach had to break the news to me that Oman had not qualified for the World Cup 🥺. Most, if not all, of my friends chose Brazil, as Ronaldo was definitely a big enough phenomenon to have pierced through to school going kids in Oman. They were also the defending champions and favourites for the tournament.
My elder brother was also supporting Brazil somehow (I can’t remember the specifics of this), and I have almost never wanted to support the same team or athlete as him, nor just follow along with the rest of my teammates.
I asked, “Coach, where’s the World Cup being played?”
He said, “France.”
“Can I support them then?” (Still heartbroken that Oman were not part of it).
“Of course!”
Lo and behold, fast forward to the end of the summer, and France lifted the World Cup, battering Brazil 3-0 in the final. I’m struggling to convey this in words, but, for someone so young and impressionable, to go against the crowd with little knowledge, choose a team on a whim, and then watch them go and win their first-ever World Cup was… how do I put it? Life-changing!
I only managed to watch the final on replays, but I was hooked. I wanted more football.
As France only played every now and again, I had to find a club team.
In Oman, we didn’t have access to the French league at all. However, because we spoke more English than Italian or Spanish, we got our dose of football via the Premier League.
Manchester United were hugely popular, but there was another club—with a French manager, Arsène Wenger, and Emmanuel Petit —the same guy who put the nail in the coffin for Brazil with his third goal. Plus, Vieira and a young French forward who was doing bits: Anelka!
It was a match! France and Arsenal. Arsenal était la vingt-et-unième équipe de Ligue 1 !
Part Deux – What goes up
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Now, unfortunately, it took Arsenal a couple of years before they won anything, but France did win the Euros, and things were going great! That was until 2002, when, as tournament favourites, we lost to Senegal and endured that disastrous campaign.
Luckily, Arsenal had some of the most amazing moments around then with the Invincibles 💪.
Oh, what a time to be alive! We were still quite young to fully understand how big a deal it was (is yours gold?) and to understand all the subplots; but on the surface these were the good days of supporting Arsenal and also a time where many of my friends at school would join in on supporting the gunners!
Then came 2006.
That goal in Madrid by Henry—Arsenal reaching our first Champions League final… In Paris! In Henry’s backyard!
Heartbreak 💔😭
I picked myself up because, FFF had convinced Zizou and Thuram to reverse their retirement decision for the World Cup in Germany. And what a World Cup! Generational superstars were all on show. Zidane made Ronaldo look ordinary in that quarter-final, and our boy Henry scored the winner against Ronaldinho and co.
Everything felt destined. Maybe you have to lose the Champions League to lift a World Cup?
And then… Materazzi.
Shock. Confusion. Disbelief 😵
As a 17-year-old teen, I really couldn’t analyse things the way I would now, and I was quick to back Zidane, saying that if anyone said something like that about my mother or sister, I would react the same way!
Another heartbreak. 2006 was tough; my mum couldn’t quite understand why her 6’3″ son was crying in front of the telly.
Part Trois – Change of scenery
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That same year, I moved to the UK for university in Birmingham. I finally got to watch my favourite club team, play at Villa Park because one of the friends I was sharing my halls of residence with had a family season ticket for Villa.
Abou Diaby scored that goal—I jumped with elation and then muttered, “Fuuuck” holding my head in my hands. I was sat amongst the Villa supporters, but it was amazing to watch my first live game and get a dub!
Starry eyed- I was in the country of my team. Getting down to London as a student was daunting, so I only saw the Emirates for the first time in 2008, and I was smitten! Especially at the time, it was by far the best stadium in the country.
But what followed were difficult years—full of promise, youth, and frustration.. Losses at key moments, the 8-2, losing to Birmingham City in the Carling Cup Final. Man City poaching all our main talent, and United taking RVP in his prime.
I moved to London in 2012, instantly became a Red member, and thoroughly enjoyed going to a couple of cup games and pre-season friendlies.
France, meanwhile, entered their “banter era”—the 2010 strike, after being finalists in 2006. It felt like a pattern: brilliant one tournament, disastrous the next.
So 2014 should’ve been another high… but it was just mid.
Arsenal did clinch a few of the first trophies I’d seen them win since moving to the UK, with those 2014 and 2015 FA Cups! Hopefully, we can go on and get something going?
No… things got desperate. Leicester can do it and we can’t? The worst conversations, for me personally, started to surface. The reality that Wenger (le Professeur) might move on, or be forced to move on.
And then it happened. Tears. Guilt. Sadness. A strange emptiness.
But life has its ways and that summer —France won the 2018 World Cup 🇫🇷✨
Poteau de Pavard! Giroud—our very own, ridiculously good-looking (confirmed by Paddy Power 😄) striker—doing the selfless work to allow Mbappé and Griezmann to shine. It was the first World Cup victory I truly got to watch properly—and oh, it was sweet.
Meanwhile, Arsenal were drifting. Not even top four. Sometimes not even top six. Probably the lowest I’d felt as a supporter. Dark times, we were becoming irrelevant.
Part Four – Identity
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At the end of 2018, after 12 years in the country, I became a British citizen. I now had a personal conundrum: why was I supporting France when England and the other home nations were where I plied my trade, and where I received my love and support?
The years between 2016 and 2020 were really tough on this front, and I started supporting England as a second team (Oman still in the mix whenever they play). It was hard because, at times, there were so many Tottenham players in the squad, which made it a tough pill to swallow.
The Lionesses (England Women’s Team), however, were a great gateway, as the team featured so many Arsenal stars and truly are amazing!
The 2022 World Cup was an incredible tournament, and maybe one for the generations, held as close to ‘home’ as possible in Qatar. This time, I was properly supporting both France and England after fully processing my underlying emotions. France vs England was incredibly tough to watch; I would’ve loved that matchup in the final (a win-win, right?).
Sadly, knowing the French rollercoaster of kicking butt one edition and failing miserably the next, I was actually on a flight during that World Cup final. BUT I was flying to Oman via Doha on Qatar Airways, and they showed the match live on the screens! The pilot even made several announcements when France suddenly woke up in the game and we got to 3-3! Unfortunately, there was some turbulence during the penalty shootout, making it choppy viewing, and worse—we lost the final.
Still, having won the previous one, it didn’t hurt quite as much as 2006.
Back home, Arsenal brought in Arteta, won a FA Cup, and then a difficult couple of seasons ensued. But after that, we found our zeal, started clicking, and really began dominating the league. Though something was always missing in those second-place finishes. The lovely yet sickening rollercoaster of being top and finishing second has been really something…
I even went to the Etihad for the pivotal game where KDB ripped us apart and we lost 4-1. What a shit trip to Shittee, spending money and time, but that’s how it is when you are desperate for that first big title. I was also at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final this year, once again watching City get the better of us. Saying that I have watched us batter Bayern 3-1 at home, and other wins in the league and cups, but somehow it is the defeats that take the king-sized room in the mind.
Part Five / Cinq / Khamsa – Paid in Full
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When you meet someone for the first time and, during small talk, you end up explaining that you support Arsenal, France, and England—especially these days—you can easily read their face: “Sheesh man, this guy is a total glory supporter.”
Context, which you all now know (after reading for god knows how long 😅), is key.
But you know what? Hopefully, it is time to be a “glory supporter”. I, along with many others, have paid my dues.
After 20 years in this country, it would be really nice to finally see Arsenal lift a big one.
COYG! ❤️
Purify our mind and senses from desire…