How should I choose a favorite European club?

[BlackLotus]

I'm an American and am really into soccer now. I am thinking about if I would have a favorite European soccer club, but I am not sure how I would go about choosing one. I like certain players, but I know players change teams all the time - and besides, each team has its own history and I think the tradition of a team means more than just who is on the team right now. Also, I have never lived in Europe before and therefore don't really have any personal bond to a certain place (which would normally be the way a person ends up having a favorite team).

Does anyone have suggestions about how to choose a favorite European club for someone in my situation? Thanks!

[Timanfaya]

Simple - go for the one with the best kit.

[laudrup]

Simple - go for the one with the best kit.

You know, you can like a sport without rooting for anyone team. I like the NBA, but I don't pick any favourites - I just like the teams that play interesting ball (the Suns or the Sonics, this year) and those players that I really respect, like Duncan or Reggie Miller.

Hope that helps. If it doesn't, go with the best kit solution - but wait until next year's kits are revealed in the summer pre-season.

[ronaldinhobr10]

You know, you can like a sport without rooting for anyone team. I like the NBA, but I don't pick any favourites - I just like the teams that play interesting ball (the Suns or the Sonics, this year) and those players that I really respect, like Duncan or Reggie Miller.

Hope that helps. If it doesn't, go with the best kit solution - but wait until next year's kits are revealed in the summer pre-season.

thats not the way to go
i mean
if you really like football then you wouldnt keep on switching teams every season
but i really dont know how to pick a team
its not really picking

[RichardL]

Don't pick a team in Europe at all. Support a team in your own country instead, the one nearest to where you live and watch them. You'll get far more out of it.

Really, why do you 'need' to pick a team in Europe. Just watch the games and enjoy them. Maybe a club will jump out at you for some reason (hopefully not because you think they play wonderful, exciting, beutiful football, oh and they just happened to win the CL/the league as well). Could be a kit. Could be a nice ground, could be horrible ground. Could be the atmosphere, could be because they play in a red-light district with a curious bunch of supporters. Could be a whole host of things. Just don't feel you 'need' to pick a team.

Or get a map of europe, shut you eyes and throw a dart into it. Wherever it lands then that is your team. If you hit Grimsby you can have another go. It's such absolute luck that determines who most fans over here support.

[BocaFan]

Does anyone have suggestions about how to choose a favorite European club for someone in my situation? Thanks!

How did you pick Brazil?

Anyway, I would just watch the European games first from a neutral POV and then maybe it'll come naturally.

[gaijin]

Don't pick a team in Europe at all. Support a team in your own country instead, the one nearest to where you live and watch them. You'll get far more out of it.

Really, why do you 'need' to pick a team in Europe. Just watch the games and enjoy them. Maybe a club will jump out at you for some reason (hopefully not because you think they play wonderful, exciting, beutiful football, oh and they just happened to win the CL/the league as well). Could be a kit. Could be a nice ground, could be horrible ground. Could be the atmosphere, could be because they play in a red-light district with a curious bunch of supporters. Could be a whole host of things. Just don't feel you 'need' to pick a team.

Or get a map of europe, shut you eyes and throw a dart into it. Wherever it lands then that is your team. If you hit Grimsby you can have another go. It's such absolute luck that determines who most fans over here support.

I once shared a night-class with a St Pauli fan. Wasn't a left-wing hellraiser or biker, just a student who exploited the ticket discounts, like oh so many of their fans. Crazy bunch though.

Indeed luck plays a part, my French teacher at secondary school could have been a hardcore Besancon fan. :eek: Now where would that have left me?

I second Richard with this BlackLotus. Aside from my local club (Middlesbrough), I support PSG because I was intrigued at a young age thanks to a certain French teacher at school and because it did help my studies reading the match reports and stuff. The bug caught and maturated me into a Parisian nutjob.

Loko is a different matter - spurred by a general fascination of the not just the team but the country and culture. What started out as general fascinantion ended in full-blown romance.

I say support your local boys (Chigaco Fire?). Trust me, contrary to popular belief, the best way to follow a team is it to choose you as it were rather than the other way around. I know alot of people have had crazy experiences to get to where they are now - from actually going to where the zed team plays on holiday, to rooming with one of that teams fans or generally just having a wacky blood-line or relative who supports the team.

Of course you could go with the kit option like Timanfaya said, in that case, its most certainly PSG. ;) :D

[Teso Dos Bichos]

I once shared a night-class with a St Pauli fan. Wasn't a left-wing hellraiser or biker, just a student who exploited the ticket discounts, like oh so many of their fans. Crazy bunch though.

Exactly, some of us aren't that bad. :p

[bs4gas]

I'm an American and am really into soccer now. I am thinking about if I would have a favorite European soccer club, but I am not sure how I would go about choosing one. I like certain players, but I know players change teams all the time - and besides, each team has its own history and I think the tradition of a team means more than just who is on the team right now. Also, I have never lived in Europe before and therefore don't really have any personal bond to a certain place (which would normally be the way a person ends up having a favorite team).

Does anyone have suggestions about how to choose a favorite European club for someone in my situation? Thanks!
easy its gotta be bristol rovers

[Timanfaya]

Of course you could go with the kit option like Timanfaya said, in that case, its most certainly PSG. ;) :D
Well, originally I was assuming we'd just leave that part of the decision to BlackLotus. But now you've made me think, we should just have a vote on it and make BlackLotus support the winning team :-)

Also don't forget that the sponsor is an important issue too. I don't think the Portsmouth fans around here were ever so keen when their favourite team's shirts, which the "real" fans have to buy and wear too of course, suddenly acquired a big heart-shaped Ty logo (of Beanie-baby fame). Didn't really suit their (supposed) hard naval-base image. It has got to be a consideration, really.

RichardL, what are you saying about Grimsby? - their kit isn't that bad!

[gaijin]

RichardL, what are you saying about Grimsby? - their kit isn't that bad!

I think he was saying that they are crap.

Which they are. No disrespect Grimsby fans.

[gaijin]

I say support the British team with the moneybags chairman who is buying up all the talent around him, to win the division at a canter and break all the league records known to man.






No but seriously, Gretna is a great club. ;)

[mad theory]

you don't choose the team, the team chooses you...(if that makes any sense?)

it's alittle thing called fate my friend...

[Timanfaya]

No but seriously, Gretna is a great club. ;)

All-white, with a bit of black down the outside of the sleeves. Not a bad suggestion ganu!

[moreno9]

I played on a team between the ages of 5 and 15 in Virginia (USA) called Arsenal YFC (Youth Football Club) before I knew anything about European soccer. When I found out a team was named Arsenal in England it was a no brainer for me.
Other reasons one might use to choose a club could be a favorite place visited, going to a game, family roots, favorite national team player is there, history of club (or lack of possibly).

[Hrvat]

I chose San Antonio to be my favorite NBA team and I don't have any bonds with USA. It just happened when I had started to follow NBA. It's stupid to choose a favorite just to have one, it will come naturaly. Or you don't have to choose one at all, I don't see why it is so important to you.

[laudrup]

thats not the way to go
i mean
if you really like football then you wouldnt keep on switching teams every season


Yes it is. I like basketball. I play basketball. I ref basketball. And I like to watch good basketball, whoever plays it, since I don't feel sentimentally attached to any team. I guess it has to come naturally, like so many people are saying. Not a matter of choice.

[Timanfaya]

Choose somewhere that's nice to go for a holiday in spring, so you can take in a home match while you're there.

[BPBlueSox]

Real Madrid or Man U.

Flip a coin.








:rolleyes:

[Mattbro]

I'm an American and am really into soccer now. I am thinking about if I would have a favorite European soccer club, but I am not sure how I would go about choosing one.

Just do what all the other yanks on here do: pick one of the teams that always wins, so you won't have to suffer. ManU would be a good choice. You can't really go wrong with Chelsea or Arsenal either. Another good insider tip is Bayern Munich, as they win the Bundesliga like 12 times a decade and are always in the running for the Champions League.