cultural evenings
I saw the Champions League final from the inside. It was magical
Any trip to a match for a journalist begins with an accreditation. But the Champions League final is a special procedure. You need to fill out a bunch of documents and leave detailed information about yourself, after which the UEFA spokespersons make inquiries about the existence of the media and people who want to be accredited. Anyone can both refuse and confirm the application. The answer has to wait about a month. All this time you live impatiently from waiting, and every day, convulsively, 10 times a day, you check the mail, where the answer should come from just one main word: confirmed or rejected. This is something like a childhood at school, when you are waiting for a test grade or exam and are afraid that the teacher will say loudly to the whole class that you are not satisfied.
The distribution of elephants begins one day before the match in the Kiev Palace of Sports. Continue reading
Football was being killed in my hometown. But he still survived
Kirzhach – a city on the border of the Vladimir region with a population of about 30 thousand people. In the summer it is filled with Moscow summer residents, and the rest of the time this place lives a quiet and measured life. At the district and regional championships, football players from Kirzhach sometimes give out something good, but they do not make it any further. Below is a story about amateur football that ordinary teens tried to save.
There is no professional football in Kirzhach. Championships of the region and the region – the ceiling for all who know how to do something with the ball. Stadiums are maintained in good condition, but often only mothers with children walk on them. Coaches-activists carry children to football tournaments from football sections. They are few, and none of the players still make their way somewhere higher. One of the guys tried out for a large-scale view at CSKA – I didn’t get to the final list. Teens love football, so chase the ball in the yards. Moreover, organized entertainment in a small town is no longer to be found. Continue reading
