Football and Religion

The World Cup has started, for the delight of all football fans out there including me. This may seem like a good thing, but is it actually?

The TV is all about the World Cup, showing all games of the competition, and when it's not games it's still talk shows or debates about it. And what about the overall quality of the matches so far? Yes I know that Portugal - Ivory Coast as by far the worst match, but still, your life would have to be pretty iddle if you manage to find time in your schedule to watch Slovakia - New Zealand. (Obv this doesn't apply to Slovakians and New Zealanders).

Indeed, nowadays football truly is the people's religion. Check out Portugal's example. In Portugal we have 3 major clubs, FC Porto, SL Benfica and Sporting CP. In 100 years of Portuguese League these three have won 98. I'm not sure if there have been 100 Leagues, but they have won everytime except 2 editions. We can safely say everyone supports one of these 3 teams and absorbs their influence.

The president of FC Porto is nicknamed "the Pope" , it can only exist one, and he his the highest figure in the power of football, local politics, courts, laws, etc.

SL Benfica supporters have started wearing t-shirts saying: "I have finally seen Jesus! - He was in the SL Benfica subs bench". Let me explain. In the last 15 or so years Benfica had only won 1 time the League. This season they appointed Jorge Jesus as their coach. In his first press conference, Jorge Jesus promissed the miracle of multiplication, but he wasn´t talking about bread. He promissed to multiply the productivity, the attacks, the goals and the show of Benfica's football. One year after, he won Benfica their second League in 15 years.

Sporting CP's president also seems to have a weird obssession with religion, because one year ago he declared Bento Forever! (In Portuguese Bento = Benedict, so Papa Bento XVI = Pope Benedict XVI).

At the time, Sporting coach was none other than Paulo Jorge Gomes BENTO who lead the team from 2005 to 2009. However, one year and a miserable season later, Sporting fired coach Paulo Bento. Sporting's president always devoted to Benedict XVI didn't want to be seen as a liar when he said "Bento Forever" so he proceeded to appoint coach Paulo Sergio BENTO Brito as the new Sporting coach.

Leaving Portugal aside and going just next door to Madrid, we can find our very own Cristiano Ronaldo, who some believe to be a football god (except when playing for the National team). But also in Real Madrid we find a special coach, who claims to be better than God, because God haven't won the Champions League twice.

After analyzing these facts, I see how close football and religion can be. Enjoy your World Cup matches, and as for Portugal vs North Korea, come on God, one time!