Xie Hui recalls his career in Foreign Countries (II): Here football is not just a sport, it is a faith

Live Bar November 7, 2019 Today' former international Xie Hui updated his special review "My Story in Germany" on personal social media to review his career in Foreign Countries. In this issue, he talks about the importance that football plays in the local culture.

The full text is as follows:

My Story in Germany (II) – Xie Hui

Aachen is a beautiful city. He is located in the westernmost part of Germany. During the Middle Ages, Karl the Great used Aachen as the capital of the empire. Located at the junction of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, the city is known as Germany's "most cosmopolitan region", with many locals living in Germany, working in the Netherlands and playing in Belgium.

A wide variety of languages can be heard here, such as in the old café in the city center, where cafe latte is called ole ole (French). Sometimes, the slow pace of life here makes you wonder if you're still in Germany. In the spring, the annual carnival is even more out of place with this country known for its rigor.

But the only constant is the enthusiasm for football. If you draw a circle around Aachen and a distance of 100 kilometers, it must be the most prosperous area of professional football development on the planet. It is not only the most densely populated place for German professional football clubs, but also includes several traditional teams from the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Almania-Aachen Football Club was founded in 1900. In the 52-year history of the German professional football league, Aachen has finished first in the second division with 1481 league points, making it the king of the Bundesliga. The club's best result was a Bundesliga runner-up in '75.

The 1999-2000 season was the club's first return to the Bundesliga since falling into the amateur league in the 1980s (the Bundesliga was not yet a professional league at the time), and the main stadium, Stadion Tivoli, was full and the fans were boiling! Tivoli is a three-sided stand-up pitch with a capacity of 25,000 people. Even in the cold winter months, the most die-hard stand, the fans here will be bare-chested, wrapped around or waving yellow and black club scarves. At the beginning of each opening, the yellow-black fireworks show, the deafening drums, and the low and majestic song make you feel like crossing, as if it were an ancient sacrifice ceremony of the primitive tribe.

Here, football is not just a sport, it is a faith. Here, football is the perfect interpretation of responsibility, teamwork, dedication and belief. It seems to be above life, but it is in awe of life.

There will be a silent ceremony at almost every home start. Everyone who has ever given for Alemonia, regardless of nobility or race, when they leave this world, their souls can receive the blessings and prayers of everyone on the pitch. When the fans chant "We will survive," you can understand why winning isn't the most important thing here. It transcends the realm of movement and rises to metaphysics. No matter what level of league the team is, the love of the fans for him is unquestionable. In this land, behind football, there is an undeniable, some kind of powerful force.

As the most expensive foreign player in the club's history, the fans certainly loved me and they even put my name in a song. Every time I heard the audience sing hui hui hui, I was suddenly filled with infinite strength.

I remember my first home game against Borussia Monchengladbach. It is a club with a glorious history, winning the Bundesliga five times and the UEFA Cup twice in the 1970s. However, even such a team was relegated to the second division in the late 90s. In fact, it is not surprising that there is only one team in the Bundesliga that has not been relegated, he is not the king Bayern, nor Dortmund or Schalke 04, but Hamburg.

Mönchengladbach is only 15 kilometres from Aachen, but this is a rare derby due to the fact that both clubs have spent most of their time in leagues at different levels. For the fans of Aachen in particular, this game has a special significance, because it would be a great joy to beat the powerful Borussia Mönchengladbach at home at Tivoli.

This will be my second game after coming to Germany (the first was away to the Stuttgart kickers, I scored my first goal after arriving in Germany to help Aachen score 3 points 2:1 away!). Back in Tivoli, how I wish I could help the team to win again and knock on the goal of the opener Hingradbach. Such a team used to only be seen on TV, and now, I'm going to be playing against them, and I don't even have time to figure out what it means, it all comes too fast...

At the end of the last training session before the game, it was getting late, and in the team's dressing room, I deliberately stayed until the end.

Housemaster's janitor, Ludy, had just turned off the lights on the pitch. He was a lovely old man who had been single all along, and fans said he was married to football. In Aachen, he worked for 40 years. Ludy has a traditional German beard and curls her two ends in two circles. Every player loves to joke with Ludy and introduce him to an object. He often boasted that he didn't want to be handsome when he was young, and the team played in the Bundesliga again. He dated the prettiest girls in town. Every time it comes to this time, our old masseuse Joop will reveal his old bottom, "Those girls are all coming for the signatures of the players in Ludy's hand" Ludy is not angry, he will always be a pistachio in the dressing room.

"Ludy, can I go to the venue alone for a while?" I want to go there and be quiet. I asked. He suddenly said very seriously: "Unless you promise to score another goal tomorrow." ”

He stopped there looking at me very seriously. I also looked into his eyes motionless. A few seconds later we burst out laughing together. "I knew you were teasing me," I said.

He came over, took out a large iron key and put it in my hand, then held it tightly and said very seriously: "Remember, don't forget to lock the door" "Well, I understand, you can rest assured" He nodded and turned away.

I walked alone through the dark corridor to the middle of the court, lay down in the middle circle, and then closed my eyes and prayed silently in my heart...

Compared to the mountain-like tsunami day, the night before, a person was lying in the middle of an empty stadium, looking up at the stars and enjoying the moment of tranquility. It seems that a little peace can be found in loneliness.

The first issue ↓

Xie Hui recalls his career in Yangyang: going to the football field every day is like going to the battlefield