soccer (US) or football (GB) – foci. labdarúgás

In the stadium – a stadionban

stadium – stadion

locker room – öltöző

bleachers – lelátó

playing field or pitch – játéktér, foicpálya

midfield – középpálya

centre circle – kezdőkör

halfway line – felezővonal

sideline or touchline – oldalvonal, partvonal

goal line – gólvonal

penalty box – tizenhatos

penalty mark or penalty kick mark – tizenegyespont

six-yard box or goal area – ötös

goal – kapu

corner arc – a szögletzászló melletti negyed körív

corner flag – szögletzászló

Parts of the goal – a kapu részei

goal net – háló

crossbar – felső kapufa

posts – oldalsó kapufák

soccer ball – focilabda

team – csapat

opponent team – ellenfél

coach – edző

soccer/football player – focista, labdarúgó

uniform or kit – mez, szerelés

shorts – nadrág

socks – sportszár

shin guards – lábszárvédő

cleats – stoplis cipő, stopli

goalkeeper or goalie – kapus

forward – csatár

striker – csatár

defender – védő

sweeper – söprögető

winger – szélső

substitutes – cserék

referee – játékvezető, bíró

whistle – síp

assistant referee or line judge – partjelző

Let’s play! – Játsszunk!

pass – passz, átadás

corner kick – szögletrúgás

free kick – szabadrúgás

wall – sorfal

penalty – büntető, tizenegyes

to throw in – bedobni

out of bounds – játéktéren kívüli

goal – gól

to score a goal – gólt szerezni

to dribble – cselezni

to pass the ball – passzolni, átadni a labdát

to shoot – lőni

to kick – rúgni

to tackle – szerelni

to volley – ívelni

to head the ball – fejelni

a header – fejes

to trap – lekezelni

to control – uralni

to save a goal – kivédeni

football fouls – szabálytalanságok

to set an offside trap – lestaktikát alkalmazni

to bring down – lerántani, földre vinni

hand ball – kezezni

yellow card – sárga lap

red card – piros lap

a player sent off for a foul – szabálytalanságért kiállított játékos

timing a game – mérni a játékidőt

regular time = 90 minutes – rendes játékidő = 90 perc

injury time – sérülések miatti hosszabbítás

halftime – félidő

overtime – hosszabbítás

final score – végeredmény

winner team – a győztes csapat

defeated team – a vesztes csapat

tie game / draw – döntetlen

Who is who? Can you match the words and the definitions?

Key:

1. d.

2. a.

3. f.

4. b.

5. c.

6. e.

Here are a few definitions for you. Which word or expression do they refer to?

1. a card shown to a football player for a serious offence against the rules, ordering them to leave the field

2. a tier of seats in a sports stadium that are unroofed and inexpensive

3. an area on a playing field that usually has two posts with a net fixed behind them

4. a match that ends with an equal score

5. an opportunity to kick the ball without the other team getting involved

6. extra time added to a game when the score is tied at the end of the normal playing time

Key:

1. red card

2. bleachers

3. goal

4. a tie game/draw

5. a free kick

6. overtime

If you want to go to a football game, you first need to check the schedule of your local team. On the fixture list, you will see home games and away games – the former is when the team plays in its own stadium, and when you can see them live. Choose a match, and pick your tickets somewhere in the home stands or the family stand. (If you select the away stand, it might be better to stay quiet!) If you are a season ticket holder, you will have regular seats at the ground; otherwise, you have to hope that the match is not sold out before you get your tickets.

At the stadium, you will receive a matchday programme that tells you a little bit about the match and gives you the team squads, shirt numbers, and positions of both teams’ players. This will help you identify players from where you are. Make sure to check the home and away kits for the day as well, to know who you are rooting for! From your seats, you will probably hear the home fans and away fans warming up and starting to sing some of their songs. There will be people in face paint, scarves held up, and flags flown. Amidst all the noise, you can recognize chants for the team, as well as individual chants for some of the fans’ favourite players. When the teams come out on the pitch hand-in-hand with their young player escorts, you will notice the referee, the assistant referees (linesmen), and the fourth official taking their spots, too. Before kick-off, there might be a theme song or national anthems played, and then it is showtime.

As the game starts, fans will cheer, but they will probably also boo and jeer at times: football is an emotional game, after all. Creative supporters will also aim a lot of banter at the opponents or opposing fans. On the pitch, you will see the line-up of your team, with 3-4 defenders, 3-5 midfielders, and 1-3 strikers in a formation that the manager chose. Now you can follow the action up close! Track the passes and through balls, cheer for the smart one-twos, hope for crosses to find their target for a header, cheer for successful dribbles, and especially for tricks like backheel passes, volleys, or bicycle kicks. Join fans in hoping that your attackers don’t miss a sitter or hit the crossbar and that your goalkeeper makes good saves. And if you need an explanation of the offside rule, make sure to ask. Whether your team wins, loses, or draws, hopefully, you get to see a few goal celebrations, see the stadium erupt after a worldie and be part of the shared experience of being a football fan!

Boyfriend: Hi, dear. How are you? Do you still want to check out the football match this weekend?
Girlfriend: Hi! It’s good to see you. Sure, I would love to go to the game! I still don’t know the first thing about football, though. Can you help me out? Who is playing this weekend?
Boyfriend: No problem; I’m happy to explain everything. I could talk about football all day! This weekend is the last matchday of the league, and Sunderland are playing for the league title. If they win, they will be champions and will be promoted to the first division. I haven’t been this excited in a long time!
Girlfriend: That sounds great! I hope they will do well. But if it’s such a crucial game, won’t it be sold out?
Boyfriend: No, no. My mate Jordan and his wife have season tickets, and they will be out of town, so they offered their seats to us. They are right at the halfway line!
Girlfriend: That’s pretty special! The last time we went to a match, I remember sitting behind the goal, and it was really hard to see. It was also loud, but I actually enjoyed that. It’s good to let off steam every once in a while.
Boyfriend: That’s the spirit! Do you also remember what happened in that game? That howler by the goalkeeper haunts me to this day…
Girlfriend: No, thankfully I just remember the atmosphere. And I’m sure the team will have better luck this time. But I’m always amazed: you are pretty dedicated if you have stuck with the team after all those hard moments!
Boyfriend: Well, being a fan is about sticking with it through the ups and downs. Even if things are bleak, there is always hope for something better.
Girlfriend: All right now, that’s enough philosophizing! You make sports sound like a bad soap opera.
Boyfriend: Don’t be so harsh! Let’s get on with the preparations instead. Do you still have your Sunderland scarf you brought last time?
Girlfriend: Of course! You’d better find your shirt, too. Now come on, let’s add the match to our calendar.
Boyfriend: Great, I’m stoked!

IMPORTANT PHRASES

to check out the football match – kinézni a focimeccsre
I don’t know the first thing about football. – Egy fikarcnyit sem tudok a fociról.
I could talk about football all day! – Bármennyit tudnék beszélni a fociról!
to play for the league title – a bajnoki címért játszani
to be promoted to the first division – feljutni az első osztályba
I haven’t been this excited in a long time! ­– Régóta nem voltam ilyen izgatott!
They will be out of town. – Nem lesznek a városban.
It was really hard to see. – Nem lehetett jól látni.
It’s good to let off steam every once in a while. – Jó néha-néha kiengedni a gőzt.
That’s the spirit! – Ez a beszéd!
sticking with it through the ups and downs – jóban-rosszban kitartani mellette
Even if things are bleak. – Még ha sötétek is a kilátások…
There is always hope for something better. – Mindig van remény, hogy valami jobb fog történni.
I’m stoked! – Alig várom!

IMPORTANT WORDS

to help sy out – segíteni valakinek
matchday – forduló
crucial – kulcsfontosságú
sold out – teltházas
my mate – a haverom
halfway line – felezővonal
howler – szarvashiba
to haunt sy – valakit kísérteni
to this day – mindmáig
dedicated – elszánt
to stick with the team – kitartani a csapat mellett
philosophizing – filozofálás, elmélkedés
harsh – durva
to get on with sg – folytatni valamit

Hungary has never won a match against Portugal, which was not a good omen. However, according to head coach Marco Rossi’s expectations, the national team entered the pitch with courage and determination. The squad was well-organized, especially the defense: Willy Orbán is now a household name in Europe. But the other central defenders, Botka and Attila Szalai, and the wing–backs, Gergő Lovrencsics and Attila Fiola, proved their worth as well.

On the other side, Cristiano Ronaldo was not only playing for the three points for Portugal, but also for personal records. By having been named in the starting line-up, he had already become one of the few players to have played in five different European Championships. But having been the joint top scorer of the EUROs with French legend Michel Platini, he was only one goal away from being the sole No. 1. Also, by winning the match, as joint leader he could become the player with the most EURO wins (12).

Portugal had more overall possession, but their attempts caused little to no problem for Hungary’s world-class goalkeeper, Péter Gulácsi, although the pressure was high for 20 minutes. In the first half, Hungary had only one shot at goal: a header by Ádám Szalai to be precise, but our team was not inferior to the reigning European champions. Hungary was missing two key players, injured Dominik Szoboszlai and Zsolt Kalmár, especially for their creativity in the midfield. The defense was solid, and every time Hungary started to attack, a Portuguese foul stopped our advance.

In the second half, Hungary had more room to attack, although Portugal still stopped most of these early through tactical fouls. Ádám Szalai, Hungary’s center forward with a fighting spirit, conceded more fouls than anyone else on the pitch, including the legendary CR7. Apropos, Cristiano Ronaldo. He was almost invisible in the second half, and as more and more minutes had passed, he became more and more frustrated with the lack of opportunities.

In the 80th minute the whole stadium (well, 97 percent of the stadium: the Hungarian fans) jumped up to celebrate: after a counter-attack, the fast Szabolcs Schön, who had only entered the pitch a few minutes prior, scored for Hungary. However, the referee ruled it as offside, rightfully so.

Unfortunately, not long after came an even bigger disappointment: Guerreiro’s shot deflected on Willy Orbán and went right into the corner, Gulácsi could not save it. 0-1. The Hungarian squad was determined to equalize, but after a Portuguese counter, Willy Orbán attempted a hard tackle against Rafa Silva, which the referee saw was a foul and gave Portugal a penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo did not miss the shot, 0-2, breaking another record and becoming the top goal scorer of the European Championships with 10 goals.

And it still was not over…in the stoppage time, the now highly-motivated Cristiano Ronaldo made it to a brace, 0-3.

However, despite the result, the fans were still grateful for the performance, and the players’ courage and determination. After the final whistle, the players and the tens of thousands of fans sang the Himnusz, Hungary’s anthem, together.

Hungary – Portugal 0–3 (0–0)

Budapest, Puskás Aréna.

Hungary: Gulácsi – Botka, Orbán, A. Szalai – Lovrencsics, Á. Nagy (R. Varga, 88.), Kleinheisler (Sigér, 78.), Schäfer (Nego, 65.), Fiola (K. Varga, 88.) – Á. Szalai, Sallai (Schön, 77.)

Portugal: Rui Patrício – Nélson Semedo, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Guerreiro – Danilo Pereira, William Carvalho (Renato Sanches, 81.), Bruno Fernandes (Moutinho, 89.) – Bernardo Silva (Rafa Silva, 71.), C. Ronaldo, Diogo Jota (André Silva, 81.)

Goals: Guerreiro (84.), C. Ronaldo (87. (P), 90+2.)

sources (article; pictures): Hungary Today; Tamás Kovács/MTI and MTI/AP pool/Tibor Illyés

DB: A búcsúmeccs és a nagy felhajtás után hogy érzed magad?

Pár nap után elmúlik az izgalom és megnyugszik minden. Persze, jó emlék, és nagyon jóleső érzés volt ennyi ember előtt búcsúzni, de nekem azért ez a búcsúzás már másfél éve megvolt, ez csak egy ráadás volt.

DB: A Fradiban, itthon fejezted be a játékospályafutásodat, közben viszont tíz évet eltöltöttél Angliában. Mennyire jutott eszedbe fiatal focistaként, hogy szeretnél külföldön játszani?

Lépcsőzetesen haladt a pályafutásom. Nyilván, amikor a Fradiba kerültem, akkor a következő lépcsőfok az volt, hogy külföldön játsszak majd valamikor. Anglia konkrétan nem volt cél. Egy jó bajnokságot szerettem volna, ahol játszhatok. Ahogy telt az idő, voltak lehetőségek, hogy más országokban játsszak, de azokat annyira nem akartam bevállalni. Inkább a legjobb bajnokságban szerettem volna játszani, és volt türelmem kivárni. Álmomban sem képzeltem volna, hogy a Premier Ligában fogok játszani, mert nagyon erősnek tartottam, és nem gondoltam magamat alkalmasnak arra, hogy fizikálisan ezt bírjam. De hála Istennek jól alakult ez az időszak.

DB: Vissza tudsz emlékezni az első találkozásodra az angol nyelvvel?

Igen. Itthon akartam készülni arra, hogy külföldre menjek. A Dover Nyelviskolában volt egy fradista ismerősöm, Dohár Péter, hozzá jártam, de azért annyira komolyan nem vettem, mint ahogy kellett volna. Úgyhogy amikor kikerültem Angliába, akkor nem tudtam megszólalni. Egyszerű kifejezéseket értettem: „köszönöm” meg „jó reggelt” meg ilyesmi, de ha komolyabban kellett beszélgetni, akkor nem tudtam. Az akcentusok elég nehezek voltak, a birminghami főleg. Kézzel-lábbal mutogatás szinten kezdődött az angliai pályafutásom.

Volt egy angoltanárom, úgy hívták, hogy Frank Lajkó. Ötvenhatos család, akik elmenekültek Angliába. Frank ott született, beszélt magyarul is. Az angol volt az anyanyelve, a magyar pedig tanult volt neki. Nagyon szépen fogalmazott és viccesen beszélt. Hozzá jártunk órákra a feleségemmel. Jó párszor átment hahotázásba az óra a kiejtés és a beszélgetések miatt. Talán egy évig tartott ez, azt hiszem. Szépen lassan, fokozatosan váltam le róla, mert akkor már föltaláltam magam.

DI: Mennyire segítettek az angolok? Akit beledobnak a mélyvízbe, annak mit tudsz mondani, hogy lehet túlélni?

Nagyon segítőkészek voltak az angolok. Az első történetünk az volt, hogy szállodában laktunk egy kisvárosban, és kerestünk gyógyszertárat. Az első angol akibe belebotlottunk, és kérdeztük, hogy hol van gyógyszertár, mondta, hogy gyertek, üljetek be a kocsiba, elviszünk benneteket. Ahogy megszólaltam, egyből látták, hogy milyen szinten vagyok, próbáltak lassan, érthetően beszélni. Figyeltek arra, hogy az angolom nincs magas szinten. Sokat vissza kellett kérdezni az akcentus miatt, de türelmesek voltak. Mindig azzal jöttek, hogy szeretném, hogyha olyan jó lenne az én magyarom, mint a te angolod.

A játékostársak is nagyon barátságosak, segítőkészek voltak. Volt ott egy-két olyan birminghami akcentussal rendelkező, akinél azt sem értettem, amikor azt mondta, hogy „good morning”, jó reggelt. De próbáltak tanítgatni. Azt már az elején leszögeztem nekik, hogy csúnyán nem beszélek, arra ne tanítsanak, mert az első, amit külföldön a focisták mindenhol megtanulnak: hogy hogyan kell káromkodni. Ez nálam kimaradt.

DB: Hogy működik a kommunikáció azokkal, akik nem tudnak olyan jól angolul? Edzéseken vagy a pályán mennyire lehet áthidalni a nehézségeket?

A pályán a legkönnyebb. Ott a szakszavakat kell megtanulni. Van tíz-húsz, amit ha az ember tud, akkor már elboldogul. Nekem az edzőm azt mondta, hogy legyek türelmes, mert amíg nem beszélek angolul, addig nem fogok játszani. De én mondtam, hogy ha majd a pályán látja, ahogy focizok, akkor biztosan változik a hozzáállása. Az öltözőn belül is teljesen rendben volt a kommunikáció. Hamar tanítottak az angolok. Először én voltam a kávésfiú, aki töltögettem a kávét nekik.

DI: A mindennapi életben voltak félreértések és nehézségek?

Voltak. De segítségemre volt a feleségem, ő jól beszélt angolul. Nem voltam rákényszerülve, hogy például banki dolgokkal foglalkozzam. Az éttermekben ahogy a „bill”-t mondtam, mindig azt értették, „beer” az akcentusom miatt. Úgyhogy nagyon sokszor előfordult, hogy hoztak sört a számla helyett.

DI: Aki kevés nyelvtudással kimegy Angliába vagy külföldre, annak mire érdemes készülni? Ha jár tanfolyamra vagy nyelvtanozik, még akkor is sokk érheti…

Az akcentus nagy hátrány tud lenni. Az a legfontosabb, azt kell minél előbb fölvenni, megérteni.

Tapasztalatunk alapján mindenki, aki azt gondolta, hogy tud angolul, és kijött, arra jött rá, hogy nagyon kevés az, amit itthon tanult. Sok magyarral találkoztunk, akik jöttek dolgozni, sokan nulla angollal. Kijöttek, és próbálták gyorsan fölszedni azokat a szavakat, amik kellettek. Ha az ember rá van kényszerülve, akkor nagyon gyorsan tanul. Ha én egyedül lettem volna, akkor biztos, hogy sokkal magasabb szintre jutottam volna angolból, de mivel a kétnyelvű zónám megvolt, a feleségem intézte a dolgokat, így nem éreztem, hogy ezeket nagyon kellene tanulnom.

DI:Tehát akinek nincs hazai társasága, az gyorsabban megtanul angolul?

Gyorsabban. Ha az ember angolul nem tud és teljesen egyedül van, akkor rá van szorulva arra, hogy a szavakat gyorsan megtanulja. Mi magyar csapattárssal csak akkor beszélgettünk magyarul, ha ketten voltunk. Ha ott voltak mások is, akkor angolul beszéltünk, tiszteletben tartottuk őket, hogy nehogy azt higgyék, hogy kibeszéljük őket.

DI: Nem csak a nyelv más, hanem a kultúra is, ami kapcsolódik a nyelvhez. Mennyire lehet erre felkészülni?

A kultúrát felvenni egyáltalán nem volt gond, sőt inkább nagyon-nagyon élveztük. Nagyon szerettük az angol kultúrát. Azzal kezdődött, hogy elkezdtünk autóval menni, és azt láttuk, hogy mindenki milyen nyugodt, segítőkész: előreengednek, nincs duda… Ez volt az első döbbenet, hogy így is lehet. Ez a laza, lassú stílus, hogy mindenki türelmes. Könnyen és hamar felvettük ezt a stílust meg ezt a lassúságot. Eljártunk kávézgatni délutánonként, néztük az idős embereket, milyen szépen felöltöznek: öltönybe, még ha csak kávézni is. Nagyon élveztük a parkokat is.

DB: Mik voltak az első szavak, amiket sikerült megtanulni?

„Yes”, „no”. Ezeket. Próbáltam utánozni az angolokat. A kifejezéseket, amiket megtanultam, szerintem ugyanúgy ejtettem ki, mint ők. Volt olyan edzésem, hogy az edző kivitt egyedül a pályára, fölírt három szót a papírra, és megmutatta, hogy ez a „near post”, „back post”, rövid kapufa, hosszú kapufa, és hogy ezt tanuljam most meg. Tíz percig kint voltunk, aztán bementünk.

DI: Sokan félnek belevágni abba, hogy kommunikáljanak angolul, mert úgy érzik, nem elég jó az angoljuk. Szerinted mennyire érdemes bátornak lenni? Mi az, ami segít átlendülni?

Szerintem az nagyon sokat segít, ha az ember bátor és nem fél, hanem nem foglalkozik azzal, hogy mennyi hibával beszél. Akkor sokkal gyorsabban tud megtanulni angolul. Ha arra néztem volna, hogy mennyire nem tudok angolul, akkor valószínűleg évekig nem szólaltam volna meg. De nem foglalkoztam vele.

Ha belegondol az ember az angolok helyzetébe, ők legtöbben egyáltalán nem beszélnek más nyelvet, és értékelik, ha valaki meg akar szólalni angolul. Akkor is, ha csak egy-két mondatot tud. Nagyon becsülik és tisztelik emiatt az embert.

DI: Szóval ha valaki nem azon aggódik, hogy mit nem tud még, hanem élvezi, hogy már beszél valamit, akkor az segít?

Hát hogyne. Nyilván attól függ, hogy az ember milyen élethelyzetben van nap mint nap, mi az, ami körülveszi, miről beszélgetnek. Ha valaki étteremben dolgozik, lehet, hogy gyorsabban megtanul, mert ha leáll beszélgetni valakivel, akkor az élet különböző dolgairól beszélgetnek. A fociközegben, ha buszon ültünk, az elején azért lehetett beszélgetni, most mindenki a telefonon lóg vagy hallgat, néz valamit. Jó, hogyha az ember beszél. Szerintem én nem voltam gátlásos. Akiket ismertem, azzal beszélgettünk angolul.

DI: Meg szoktad említeni, hogy a pályafutásodban mekkora szerepet játszott a hited. Nyelvtanuláskor is használtad?

Az angol Bibliát elővettük párszor. Könnyebb a nyelvezete, mint a Károli Gáspár-féle fordításnak. Keresztény könyveket próbáltam olvasni angolul, de sok türelmem nem volt hozzá. Úgyhogy elsősorban a Biblia volt, amit az angol miatt olvasgattam.

DI: Az is nagy akadály tud lenni, hogy itt vagyok, aztán nem tudok jól, ők meg mind milyen jól beszélnek… Mi történik, ha az ember ezt hittel közelíti meg?

Én úgy voltam a helyzetemmel, hogy jó helyen vagyok, és a tehetségemet, amit kaptam Istentől, kamatoztatni szeretném minden területen. Bárhol, ahol vagyok, mindenhol keresztényként akarok élni, olyan emberként, aki jó példa: a pályán, a pályán kívül, a viselkedésemmel, a hozzáállásommal az élethez.

Nagyon sokat beszélgettünk a hitről az angol játékosokkal. Nagyon érdeklődőek és tisztelettudóak voltak. Sokat beszéltem nekik például arról, hogy jó az embernek, hogy ha van társa, felesége, jó, ha az ember hűséges.

Mindenhol, ahol elmondtam a történetemet – azt, hogy Isten milyen állapotból hozott ki –, meg voltak döbbenve. Nem nagyon hitték el, hogy milyen gyerek voltam régen, amikor elmeséltem, mennyire sok problémám volt. De az egy dolog, hogy az ember beszél a hitéről, a lényeg viszont az, hogy mit mutat és milyen az élete. Az élete a bizonyság. Volt több muzulmán csapattársam is, akikkel szerettem vitatkozni. Nagy élmény volt.

DB: Felnőtt fejjel kezdtél hozzá az angoltanuláshoz, és az iskolát is később fejezted be, szóval sok tapasztalatod van abban, mennyire éri meg kitartani, újrakezdeni. Neked mi segített abban, hogy később indulva tudj megtanulni valami újat?

Ahogy említettem, a Jézussal való találkozásom után megváltozott az életem, és egyik napról a másikra megváltozott minden bennem. Egy olyan jövőképet kaptam, hogy meg voltam róla győződve, hogy minden sikerülni fog, amibe belekezdek. Nagyon sokat tanultam a Bibliából, hogy soha nem késő újrakezdeni az életet, az ember semmiről nem marad le.

Én fiatalkoromban változtam meg, 16 éves voltam. A futball szempontjából ez egy olyan időszak volt, amikor már lemondtak rólam, meg én is magamról: hogy nem lehet pótolni azt a kimaradást, ami nekem volt. De hát nem így történt. Sose késő. A tanulásban sem. Én tavalyelőtt érettségiztem le, úgyhogy büszke vagyok magamra, hogy sikerült.  Nehezebbnek gondoltam előtte. Jobban élveztem felnőttként a történelmet, meg a verseket elemezni vagy a novellákat. Annyi bölcsesség meg élettapasztalat van ezekben, az ember nagyon sokat tud tanulni belőlük. Nyilván más, amikor már érettebb az ember, több van a fejében, meg az életében is történtek dolgok.

DI: Van valami, amit angolul olvastál és nagyon tetszett? A Bibliát már említetted.

Hát, annyira nem, de azért az 5 Perc Angolt azt olvasgattuk, a feleségem sokat. Azt kint Angliában is vettük. Ez egy nagyon érthető, jó tanulási módja annak, hogy az ember az angollal barátkozzon. De külön könyvet nem olvastam végig angolul. Annyi türelmem nem volt. Egy-két focist megvettem, elkezdtem, de hamar le is álltam.

DI: Visszakanyarodva egy mondatra. A focit nyilván élvezted, az edzősködést is. Az angolt mennyire sikerült élvezni?

Voltak olyan emberek, akiket olyan nagyon jó volt hallgatni, amikor angolul beszéltek, szép kiejtéssel, meg ahogy artikuláltak, az nagyon-nagyon tetszett. Nekem nem volt nyűg, hogy hú, most angolul kell beszélni, hanem örültem, hogy végre az angolt is tudom tanulni. Akkor ment el a kedvem, amikor kevesebbet értettem meg valakinek az angoljából. Volt, aki nem volt tekintettel arra, hogy nem nagyon értem, és csak úgy darálta az angolt… Még most is nehezen értek meg valakit, amikor csak úgy mondja, mondja. De van, aki szándékosan lelassít. Nem volt egyáltalán nyűg angolul beszélni. Vannak angol barátaink kint, akikkel szoktunk beszélgetni, szeretünk kijárni Angliába, visszamenni.

DB: Most, hogy itthon vagytok, mennyit használod az angolt?

Ugyanúgy használom, mivel az öltözőben sok külföldi van, az edző is angolul beszél, és a fiziós is angol. A pályán kívül nem kell nagyon használni, de magában a fociban sokat. Inkább azt kell megszoknom, hogy a magyar kifejezéseket jobban megtanuljam, mert évekig inkább az angol szakkifejezéseket használtam a fociban, a magyartól meg elszoktam. Sokszor az angol van először a fejemben, és néha angolul kezdem mondani, és közben kiderül, hogy magyarul kéne.

Az interjút készítette: Dezsényi Balázs és Dezsényi István

Alapfok B1

In the picture, we can see a group of young people watching a football match on TV. We can see only their backs. They seem to be happy and they are cheering for the teams. They are holding glasses and bottles in their hands. I don’t know what they are drinking. People usually like drinking beer when they watch a football match. The footballers on the screen are wearing blue and red jerseys but I can’t tell which two teams are playing. Football is a ball game in which eleven players play against eleven players from the other team. The aim is to kick or head the ball into the goal. In the goal, there stands a goalkeeper who shouldn’t let the ball into the goal. I think it’s a hard task.

When I was a child I played football almost every day. I went to training regularly and we had matches at the weekend. There were a few boys in the neighbourhood who liked playing football as much as I did. After school when I was ready with my homework we went together to the football pitch nearby and played until it was dark and we had to go home. Nowadays, unfortunately, I don’t have time to do any sports.

Középfok B2

In the picture, five young people are watching a football match. They are in a living room and they are sitting on a couch. We can’t see their faces but their eyes are most certainly glued to the screen. It’s an enormous screen filling up almost an entire wall of the living room. The football match must be exciting because they have their arms up in the air and they look happy if you can tell that from their backs. They probably support the same football team. We can see three young women and two young men in the picture, so the women outnumber the men. It’s not a typical sight that women watch the football matches. More typically it’s the men who want to watch the matches and the women would rather do something different. In this picture males and females look equally happy to watch the match. They have glasses and bottles in their hands. What they drink is probably beer because it’s the most popular drink at football matches.

Football is a very popular sport you can even say that it is a craze for many. Millions of people play it and watch it all around the world. In the past few weeks, we could watch a lot of football matches because of the World Cup. It is held every four years and while it lasts the majority of people watch it and talk about it. They look forward to seeing their favourite team play and cheering for them. You can watch the football matches not only at home but almost everywhere. There usually are big screens in pubs or in big squares outdoors and people can follow what’s going on together with others. The weather is favourable in summer, so watching the matches is like a community picnic. People sit on the grass, they drink beer or coke and they have a good time. Some people are dressed in their favourite team’s jersey or paint their faces in their team’s colours. It’s an unforgettable experience that comes only every four years so it is not to be missed.      

Felsőfok C1

It’s a picture of a craze called football. A couple of young people are sitting in front of a big screen and they seem to be mad about football just like millions of people especially during the time of World Cups. People tend to watch football everywhere they go, in pubs, in the streets and the main topic of conversation seems to be football for weeks on end. Football rules and pushes more important matters into the background. The winner takes it all, but unfortunately, there is only one winner in the end and though it is called the champion you can’t take it for granted that it is the best team. Football is a game of chance and luck sometimes and no matter how good strategy a coach chooses or how much training and work went into the preparation period it doesn’t guarantee that the best team will be the winner. However, it’s always a tragedy for the losing teams’ supporters and leads to a street party for those who support the winning team. Life stops for a while when the national team wins. It’s like a fairy tale and a dream come true for someunderdog teams.

As for genders football is usually men’s interest and their game. There exist women football clubs and women supporters also but it’s rather men and not women who get excited about football. In this picture though there are three women cheering for their team and only two men which is unusual. So gender stereotypes don’t always prove to be true.

As for me, I’m fascinated by football. It’s amazing to see the players play and strive for a goal in unison. It’s a strategy game and a team game at the same time, you cannot win and be the best without the others and individual interests and selfishness should be put aside for a greater goal. The game teaches you to be perseverant to never give up and to play fair. The best football players have an international fame that reaches a big audience all over the world. They are role models for kids who wear jerseys with their heroes’ name on it, they worship them and want to follow in their footsteps. It’s quite a big responsibility for the big names to live up to their reputation. Being a good footballer doesn’t always mean that someone’s personality is also picture perfect, but they should strive to project a positive image in their everyday life far from the football pitches, too.

Though the World Cup is over and we will have to wait four years for the same excitement, football is everywhere. Cheering for the local team can be as exciting as cheering for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.

Portugal

Ole – Portugal Allez! – Portugal!

Portuguese supporters have their idol, and this is of course Ronaldo. Olé Ronaldo Olé can be heard in the stadium to encourage the most famous player of the Selecção. As you may know, Olé is mostly associated with the bullfighting of last centuries, but also with other sports after the 19th century. Another song easy to remember is “Portugal Allez!” which just means Go Portugal! Last, but not least, you can just repeat “Portugal” indefinitely and it would make the perfect Portuguese football chant!

Switzerland

Steht Auf Wenn Ihr Schweize Seid – Schwiizer Nati Ole – Hopp Schwiiz

Stand up if you’re Swiss! This is the easy-to-learn lyrics of the Swiss’ most famous football chant Steht Auf Wenn Ihr Schweize Seid. Swiss supporters can also alternate with the repetitive Schwiizer Nati Ole which is the Swiss equivalent to the German “Allee Allee”! And last, but not least, there is also the football chant Hopp Schwiiz which is also the slogan to support Swiss athletes and national teams for all sport events.

Poland

Poland Polska, Bialoczerwoni – Nic sie nie stalo

The Polish favourite football chant is Polska, Bialoczerwoni. Sung to the tune of “Go West” by Village People, it simply means “Poland, the White and Reds”, in a nod to the national colours. Another standard is Nic sie nie stalo, sung to the tune of “Guantanamera” and pronounced like “nits she nee star-wo”. It literally means “nothing has happened”, and is deployed to prod a team into making an effort. Among the other regulars is a question-and-answer chant often led by stadium announcers: “Who’ll win the match? Poland! Who? Poland! Who? Poland, Poland, Poland, fight, fight, Poles!”

France

Et Un Et Deux Et Trois Zéro – Allez Les Bleus –  I will survive

In 1998, France won the finale of the World Cup against Brazil with 3 goals to 0. Supporters in the stadium started singing the now famous song “Et un ! Et deux ! Et trois – zé-ro !” and continue with the refrain “On est les champions” (We are the Champions). The song is now sung every time France wins 3 to 0 which is, of course, not always the case… Otherwise, French supporters only repeat the chant “Allez les Bleus” (Go Blue!) inspired by the team’s blue jerseys. In 1998, supporters also adopted the famous song of Gloria Gaynor I will survive to celebrate their victory. It is still sung every time France wins a new match.

Belgium

Allez La Belgique – Waar Is Dat Feestje

The French-speaking Belgian supporter chant is as simple as Allez La Belgique where supporters just repeat both in French and English “Come on Belgians, Come on Belgians, Come on, Come on, Come on!”. Belgians also support their Red devils with the adaptation of the song “Oh when the saints” but with “Oh when the Reds”, just as for Liverpool supporters. Flemish speakers sing for their part Waar Is Dat Feestje (Where is the party?).

Germany

Deutschland schieß ein Tor! – Allee Allee (Eine Straße, viele Bäume)

It’s been a long time that German football fans exhort Germany to score a goal (Deutschland schieß ein Tor!) but in 2014 Germans even translated this famous football chant into their official World Cup song. German supporters can also sing the famous chant “Allee Allee” whose lyrics say: “a pathway, a pathway, a street, many trees, yes! This a pathway”. Why those crazy words? Only because they make fun of the French expression “Allez” which they heard so many times in stadiums…

Italy

Italy Campioni del Mondo (Po Po Po) – Ole Ole Ole

On the night of July 9, 2006, it was impossible to go anywhere in Italy without hearing delirious football fans chanting Campioni del Mondo (Po Po Po) to the tune of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes. The song had become the Azzurri’s unofficial anthem and there was no escaping it after the country’s World Cup final win over France in Berlin. Italian supporters also sing Ole Ole Ole which is easy to sing for everyone.

Hungary

Magyar csapat, magyar szív – Gyerünk! Magyar! – Gyerünk magyarok! – Hungary Ole – Ria, Ria, Hungária

Magyar Csapat, Magyar Szív, one of the most famous Hungarian football chants says “Our beloved team! We’re here again! We are supporting you with all our heart! Come on Hungarian team, Hungarian heart! The stands are calling again”. In Gyerünk! Magyar!, Hungarian football supporters also shout at each other from one side of a stadium to another with one side yelling “Come on!” and the other side “Hungarians”! Otherwise, Magyar supporters can just sing Gyerünk Magyarok! or Hungary Ole, or Ria, Ria, Hungária.

Croatia

Croatia Malo Vas Je Pickice – Kolko Nas Ima – Bježite Ljudi

The first Croatian football chant may be a bit rude. Malo vas je malo vas je pičkice! means “there’s too few of you, there’s too few of you, pu*ies!” A similar one is “Kolko nas ima, kolko nas ima, kolko nas ima, jebote kolko nas ima!” which is sung over the tune of “Guantanamera”. It means something like “so many of us are here, so many of us are here, so many of us are here, wow hell, so many of us are here!”. And then there is “Ale aleee ale aleee (etc) … Bježite Ljudi bježite iz grada, stiže ekipa pijana, bježite ljudi dok postoji nada jer ovdje igra hrvatska!” for “Ale aleee… Run people, run from the city, cos the drunk gang is coming, run people while there’s still chance, cos Croatia is playing here!”

Slovakia

Slovakia Slovakia – Slovensko

Supporters encourage their team with the football chant Slovakia. The rhythm of the chant is taken from the song Guantanamera. Another quick manner to support Slovakia is simply to repeat — just as in the Czech Republic and elsewhere- Slovensko while clapping your hands!

Spain

Yo Soy – A Por Ellos – Que Viva España

Spain had plenty to cheer when they won the World Cup in 2010, and their favoured chant is always back in full force during international matches. “Yo soy Español, Español, Español,” the yell goes, letting everyone near you know that you are indeed Spanish. And of course, Spanish football fans also support the Roja with “A por Ellos” and “Que Viva España”

Ireland

Come On You Boys In Green – Stand Up For the Boys In Green – Ole Ole Ole

Green is the colour of Ireland, then logically the supporter’s football chant is about the boys in Green. The name of the song “Come On You Boys In Green” is also the name of a supporters association quite active in Ireland. You can also try to sing a quite a similar song “Stand Up For the Boys In Green“. And if you don’t feel like singing, you cant just repeat Ole Ole Ole indefinitely and it would be fine as well!

United Kingdom

Two World Wars and One World Cup  – The Great Escape – England Till I Die

One of England’s favoured chants is the song version of Two World Wars and One World Cup. The chant goes to the tune of “Camptown races,” and is pretty straightforward. “Two World Wars and one World Cup, England, England. Two World Wars and one World Cup, England all the way…” English supporters also have their Great Escape and England till I die to support their national team.

Norway

Alt for Norge – Heia Tufte

Supporters in Norway may support their national team with Alt for Norge “we give everything, everything for Norway, sacrifices if we have to. We are red white, blue! We’ll make it through the whole battle! For Norway, our fatherland!. The theme song of the show TV reality show “Heia Tufte!” (Go Tufte!), is also used as a taunting chant by Norwegian football fans against opposition when their team is winning big. But it is rather for the Tufyr Il team.

Sweden

Oi Oi Oi Football  – Sverige – Vad Vi Är Bra Alla Svenska Vänner

Swedish supporters showed up first during the 1912 Summer Olympics, where they chanted “Heja Sverige Friskt humör, det är det som susen gör” (roughly meaning “Go Sweden, being in good spirits is what does the trick!”). But former Vikings can be much more tribal! Some of their supporting chants are just loud interjections, such as “Oi Oi Oi”, or the repetition of “Sweden” in Swedish: “Sverige”. An alternative is also to repeat many times “Oj Vad Vi Är Bra Alla Svenska Vänner Oj” which directly means in English “We are all Swedish fans”.

Finland

Finland Suomi Meidän Kotimaa – Suomi – Taistele Suomi

Suomi Meidän Kotimaa is one of the most sung football chants in Finland. In English, it only means “Finland, Our Country”. Another common football song is “Taistele Suomi”, which means “Fight Finland Fight“. But if you have difficulties to speak Finnish just repeat indefinitely “Suomi” and it will be fine as well…

Denmark

Vi er røde, vi er hvide – Lalala Denmark – Og det var Danmark

“We are red, We are white, We stand together, Side by side…” These are the lyrics in English of Vi er røde, vi er hvide, maybe one of the most famous Danish football chants, red and white being the two colours of Denmark. The song, recorded by members of the Danish national football team, became a huge hit in Denmark in 1986 and an iconic song sung at almost all the Danish national games. Danes also have other football chants, such as Lalala Denmark sung on the same theme as German’s Allee Allee or Og det var Danmark which means “And it was Denmark”…

Netherlands

Wij houden van OranjeFootball – Hup Holland Hup

Of course, Dutch supporters dressed in orange like to sing one of their most famous supporter chants Wij houden van Oranje (We love Orange). It was originally performed by the Dutch singer André Hazes based on the melody of the well-known Scottish song Auld Lang Syne. Dutch supporters also sing Hup Holland Hup (Go ! Holland Hup!), the oldest football song, written in 1950. The lyrics are weird and refer to the Dutch lion. It says “Go Holland Go / Don’t let yourself be stripped of your vest / Go Holland Go /Don’t put slippers on the beast / Go Holland Go /Stay undaunted /Because a lion on football boots /Can beat the whole world”…

Slovenia

Kdor Ne Skače Ni Slovenec – Ljubim Slovenijo – Dajte Gol

In Slovenia, the easiest way to support the national team is actually singing Kdor ne skače ni slovenec which means “He who is not jumping is not Slovenian, hey hey hey!. If you are not in the mood to jump, you can just shout your love to Slovenia! The football chant Ljubim Slovenijo means “we love Slovenia”. You can also sing along Dajte Gol. It means “score a goal” and is actually the Slovenian version of the German chant Deutschland schieß ein Tor!

Austria

Austria Das schäumende Bier – Österreich! – Hey Hey Hicke

In Austrian stadiums, you can actually hear the drinking song Das schäumende Bier as a football chant: “we drink the foaming beer and shit on the counter/ give the economic one give one give one we all want to be drunk…”. The rest of the song is even worse. For a more “sophisticated” chant, Austrian football supporters support their national team by repeating indefinitely Österreich. Otherwise Austrians also created in 2008 their own song to support Josef Hickersberger, their football star and former coach of the Austria national football team. Germans will recognize between lines the rhythm of the famous animation movie Hey Vicky.

Czech Republic

My Chceme Gol – Pojďme Hoši, Pojďme Do Toho – český

My Chceme Gol may be hard to pronounce. It translates to “give us a goal”. Another quite famous football chant in the Czech Republic is Pojďme Hoši, Pojďme Do Toho. It means in English “Come On Guys Let’s Do It”. And last of course, and as in many countries, you can support the Czech national team by saying český and clapping your hands…

Estonia

Estonia Eesti Eesti – Jalgpall On Parem Kui Seks – Kas Tunned Maad

The most common Estonian football chant may be Eesti Eesti. But there are also plenty of others. Otherwise, did you know that, in Estonia, “football is better than sex”? No kidding, the Estonian football song Jalgpall On Parem Kui Seks, which is not exactly a chant, says “This makes the soul troubled/and every man knows it/It‘s not a cliché/ football is better than sex!”… Another Estonian football song is Kas Tunned Maad which means “Do you know the land?”. It says “Do you know the land that reaches from the coasts of Lake Peipus / To the coast of the Baltic Sea / And from the forests and fields of Egg Hill / To the Gulf of Finland?’ The text is actually from the Estonian poet Mihkel Veske.

Ukraine

Ukraine Slava Ukrayini! – Chervona Ruta – Viva Ukraina!

Slava Ukrayini!, translated as “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!” is a Ukrainian greeting slogan and popular unofficial motto that first appeared in the Ukrainian War of Independence.  Another chant, Chervona Ruta is a popular Ukrainian song. It says poetically “You said to me,  Why you have those goblets Without you I all days, In trap of sadness”. Otherwise you can support Ukraine with more traditional chant, such as Viva Ukraina!

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina Dajte Gol Da Slavimo – Jedna si Jedina – Volim Te Bosni – Bosnia Champion

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a nation of footballers and supporters, so that they have a whole set of football chants, such as Dajte Gol Da Slavimo, which means “[Give us] a Goal To Celebrate”. “Jedna si jedina” (You Are the One and Only) was the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1998, but it is still considered by most of the population to be the real anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And supporters therefore continue to sing it. It says “Land of a Thousand Summers/ Loyalty to you I swear/From sea to save from the Drina to Una/You Are the One and Only/You are Bosnia and Herzegovina /May God preserve you/For the generations/Country of my dreams/My forefathers…”. Bosnian supporters also have easy chants such as Volim Te Bosni which means “I love you Bosnia” or even simplier Bosnia Champion.

Albania

 AlbaniaO Sa Mirë Me Qenë Shqiptar! – Këndoj për ty shqipëri – Shqipëri!

“It’s so good, to be Albanian!” this is actually what one of the most famous Albanian football chants says (O Sa Mirë Me Qenë Shqiptar!). Another song, Këndoj për ty shqipëri is also quite beautiful. It says “I’m singing for you Albania and without love /As long as I live! /I love you Albania… “.  Finally, the easiest way to support the Albanian team may simply be to repeat “Albania, Albania” and clap your hands! (Shqipëri)

Greece

GreeceΠαντα Τηα Σ’ακολοθτηο – Ομαδαρα – Ελλαδαρα vαλε ενα γοαλ

The Greek football chant Παντα Τηα Σ’ακολοθτηο is actually quite nice! It says “I’ll Always Follow You, I’ll always follow you, Ooooh and I live only for you, Ooooh Greece, Madness in my mind…”. Greeks, also sing Ομαδαρα. It means “Great team eh oh, Greece Greece I love you…”. Last but not least, note that, surprisingly, Greeks share with Germans the same song! Ελλαδαρα vαλε ενα γοαλ  is the equivalent to Deutschland schieß ein Tor! with the same lyrics but of course adapted to Greece: “Greece, score a goal, score a goal, score a goooAAAl”!

Turkey

TurkeyTürkiyem Benim – Saldır, Türkiye! – Vur! Kır! Parçala! – Türkiye Gol, Gol, Gol!

The chant Türkiyem Benim is like a love letter: “My dear Turkey/You are the one/Tell me that I’ve got/Nobody but you/I cry with you/I laugh with you/Tell me that I’ve got/Nobody but you”. Quite beautiful isn’t it? But Turkish supporters can also attack in their chant, such as in Saldır, Türkiye! which means “Turkey,Turkey ,Attack! Attack! Turkey!”. The same spirit can be found in Vur! Kır! Parçala! which can be translated into English as “Kick! Smash! Shred! Win this match!”. Last, Turkish supporters simply encourage their team to score a goal in Türkiye Gol, Gol, Gol!

source: europeisnotdead.com

So let’s keep living ’til it all falls down

Let’s close our eyes

And let the moment drive the whole world out

We’re in this together

Hear our hearts beat together

We stand strong together

We’re in this forever

This one’s for you,

This one’s for you

Waving colored flags

We won’t surrender, there’s no standing down

There’s a playing field

It’s full of winners, we’re breaking new ground

We’re in this together

Hear our hearts beat together

We stand strong together

We’re in this forever

This one’s for you,

This one’s for you

In this together

Woah, woah

Oooooh

We’re in this together

Hear our hearts beat together

We stand strong together

We’re in this forever

This one’s for you

There are nice and useful expressions in the song. Can you translate the following sentences into Hungarian?

1. We’re born to fly.

2. Let’s close our eyes.

3. And let the moment drive the whole world out.

4. We’re in this together.

5. We won’t surrender, there’s no standing down.

6. It’s full of winners.

7. Our hearts beat together.

Key

1. Repülni/Szárnyalni születtünk.

2. Csukjuk be a szemünket!

3. És hagyjuk, hogy a pillanat kizárja az egész világot.

4. Együtt vagyunk ebben benne.

5. Nem adjuk fel, nincs visszalépés.

6. Teli van győztesekkel.

7. Együtt dobog a szívünk.

A large group of Irish football fans unexpectedly serenaded an adorable baby while travelling on a train in Bordeaux.

Despite their team losing 3-0 to Belgium the previous day (Saturday 18 June), the group of men happily turned their attention to the baby girl sat on her dad’s lap and broke out into song.

A passenger on the train managed to capture the whole recital of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ as the baby aimlessly stared back at them, pretty confused.

Despite their loud singing, the fans proceeded to shout “Sshhhh” to everyone else on the train, explaining there was a baby on board.

And then they started again: this time, turning “Hush, little baby” into “Hush, little baby on board.”

The video, uploaded to YouTube on 19 June, was viewed more than 116,000 times in just one day.

source: Huffington Post

Can you sing the two lullabies? The lyrics of the songs can help:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

When the blazing sun is gone

When he nothing shines upon

Then you show your little light

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are.

Hush little baby

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.

Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won’t sing,

Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,

Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,

Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won’t pull,

Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull turn over,

Papa’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover

And if that dog named Rover won’t bark

Papa’s gonna buy you a horse and cart

And if that horse and cart fall down,

You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

source: dailynewshungary.com

Football vocabulary – Can you match the words with their Hungarian equivalent? 

Key: 

1. c.

2. g.

3. a.

4. j.

5. i.

6. d.

7. h.

8. e.

9. b.

10. f.

11. m.

12. o.

13. k.

14. l.

15. n.

The mystery of a boy pictured wearing a homemade Lionel Messi football shirt – improvised from a blue-and-white striped plastic bag – has finally been solved. The young fan in a photograph that spread on social media has been identified as Murtaza Ahmadi, a five-year-old boy who lives in a Taliban-controlled area of Afghanistan.

Murtaza had no idea he had become an Internet sensation after his elder brother, Homayoun, 15, posted the photographs on Facebook two weeks ago. Thousands of amateur sleuths trawled through picture archives trying to find the boy, as offers flooded in of real football shirts.

Murtaza, whose father admitted he could not afford to buy him a replica jersey, said he had only a punctured ball to play with in his village in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province. “I love Messi, he plays well, the shirt was made by my brother and I liked it very much,” he said after being tracked down by the AFP news agency. “We do not have a football playground near our house, and the only ball I have is punctured. I want to be like Messi, when I grow up.”

The shirt was made by his brother, from a plastic bag with Messi’s name and number written on with marker pen. Internet detectives initially believed the boy in the pictures was an Iraqi Kurd before Murtaza’s uncle Azim Ahamdi, who lives in Australia, posted pictures of his nephew and said he was the unwitting star of the story.

The family, who live in a remote rural area, only learnt about Murtaza’s newfound fame from relatives when Murtaza’s father’s visited the Afghan capital Kabul. He told AFP he had high hopes for his son.

“He asked me to buy him a Messi jersey but I am a farmer and could not afford it,” Mohammad Arif Ahamdi, a father of six, said. “Murtaza wants to meet Lionel Messi in person one day. I want my son to become a good football player in the future and become the Messi of Afghanistan.”

Football is hugely popular in Afghanistan although the national stadium in Kabul was used as a venue for executions during the years of Taliban rule until 2001.

source: telegraph.co.uk

The showdown between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers marks the 50-year celebration of the game. The Super Bowl is always more than just a game, between the pregame and halftime musical performances, multi-million-dollar commercials, hype and other sometimes strange occurrences.

With Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, though, the spectacle becomes even bigger as the NFL takes an opportunity to celebrate a half-century of its championship game.

There are plenty of facts to share about the game. Here are some fun facts about Sunday’s game and the history of the sport.

1. The Use of Roman Numerals

The game between the New York Jets and the Baltimore Colts in 1969 was the first time the league used Roman numerals and the official “Super Bowl” name. The Jets went on to beat the Colts 16-7 and Joe Namath continued on a path that would eventually lead him to the Hall of Fame.

2. The Old v. New Staple Holds Up

Not everyone is a fan of the old v. new player match-up, but this year’s is quite hard to miss. The age difference between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Cam Newton is 13 years. The gap is the largest in Super Bowl history, making Manning the oldest starting QB in the game’s history.

3. Viewership Is Larger Than You Think

Super Bowl games don’t include overtime and they never end in ties, but it doesn’t stop fans from tuning in. Over the last ten years (2004-2014) viewership has increased by 22.4 million. The most viewed games are from the last five years, surpassing the most watched program from February 1983 with 106 million viewers–the M*A*S*H finale. Super Bowl XLVIII brought in over 25.3 million tweets generated – between the game, Beyonce’s half-time show, and the ads. While many think football is a man’s game, women’s viewership has increased to an average of 50 million viewers, with females accounting for 46.8 percent of viewership.

4. Snacks on Snacks on Snacks

Everyone enjoys a good Super Bowl party, especially when there’s food involved. The event is the second-highest day of food consumption after Thanksgiving. Brands like Lays and pizza chains such as Domino’s, Papa Johns, and more sell millions of food for the big day. Guacamole has also become a fan favorite over the years. Approximately 100 million pounds of guacamole will be devoured by fans. The National Chicken Council expects about 1.3 billion wings to be eaten during Super Bowl weekend. Beer consumption has declined over the years, but it’s still one of the most popular beverages during the game.

5. History Making Coaches

While most fans are fixated on the players, the coaches are also widely celebrated and adored. For Super Bowl XV, The Raiders’ Tom Flores, of Hispanic descent, became the first minority coach to win the game. In 2007, Tony Dungy became the first black coach to win the Super Bowl. The Indianapolis Colts coach competed against his friend and protegé Lovie Smith, making them the first two black coaches to lead the game.

6. Halftime Games Flourish

Super Bowl 10 in Miami welcomed Up With The People, an organization who brought education and positive energy to the youth. The group was the first musical act to perform at the Super Bowl. One of the most legendary acts would come years later during Super Bowl XXVI, starring the late Michael Jackson. His show would set the precedent for flair and pop culture status, as acts like U2, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and Prince hold up the tradition.

7. Super Bowl Ads Are Just As Enjoyable As The Game

Back in the ’60s, Super Bowl commercials would cost as low as $37,500. This year, advertisers shell out up to $5 million for a 30-second spot. The cost is 11 percent higher than last year’s commercials. Ads have generated a total of $2.19 billion in sales. Aside from its steady cash flow, ads have been implemented into pop culture for their controversy and celebrity cameos. From the infamous Budweiser and Coca-Cola commercials, to banned Ashley Madison ads that live on the web, each moment evokes tears of laughter or eye rolls at the small screen.

8. Game Stats

Each game has generated new records for the sport. Jerry Rice has set the record for eight touchdowns, while the New York Giants and New England Patriots pulled off the longest drive ever (10 minutes) during Super Bowl XLII. Tom Brady holds the record for the most touchdown passes with 13, while Colin Kaepernick holds the longest touchdown run by a QB (15 yards) during Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens.

9. Whitney’s National Anthem

The late Whitney Houston’s rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” has been forever remembered as the most beloved version ever. The Super Bowl XXV performance in 1991 came just days into the Persian Gulf War, helping the nation adopt a patriotic mood. The single went on to top the charts, a feat no other musical act has accomplished with the National Anthem. Houston and her record label donated all proceeds to charity at the time. When it was re-released during the September 11 attacks, the singer once again donated the proceeds to the victims’ families.

This year, Lady Gaga is set to sing the National Anthem.

10. The cheapest Super Bowl tickets available on StubHub on Wednesday were $3,000.

11. There are 72 footballs used for every Super Bowl; more than 700,000 are purchased for the NFL each year.

12. Michael Jordan has done Super Bowl commercials with Larry Bird and Bugs Bunny.

13. The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad last year was $4.5 million.

14. Sunday, Broncos star Peyton Manning will become the oldest quarterback (39) to start a Super Bowl.

Numbers in Super Bowl

What do the following numbers refer to? Do you remember?

1. 50

2. 13

3. 100 billion

4. 1.3 billion

5. 3,000

6. 72

7. 700,000

Key

1. Tonight’s Super Bowl marks the 50-year celebration of the game.

2. The age difference between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Cam Newton which is the largest in Super Bowl history.

3. Approximately 100 million pounds of guacamole will be devoured by fans.

4. The National Chicken Council expects about 1.3 billion wings to be eaten during Super Bowl weekend.

5. The cheapest Super Bowl tickets available on StubHub on Wednesday were $3,000.

6. There are 72 footballs used for every Super Bowl.

7. More than 700,000 footballs are purchased for the NFL each year.

Asha, the two and a half year old elephant calf, does not look down on the pleasures of football…

It is always key that suitable activities and opportunities to play are provided to zoo animals. Environmental enrichment is really all about this: in one of its forms, animals are given different toys to play with. In our zoo, elephants are given, among other things, special balls that can withstand their weight and physical strength.

Asha, the small elephant born in February 2013, is particularly fond of this special elephant-proof ball and so attentive visitors are often rewarded with scenes of golden-footed Asha performing exciting footballing feats. We have recorded some frames of these as well.

This Asian Elephant was born early in the morning on Valentine’s Day at Zoo Budapest, after a 22-month gestation in 2013. The mother is then 12-year-old Angele, and her father is named Assam. A public vote was held on the zoo’s website to name the baby elephant. The choices all began with the letter A, to mirror her parent’s names. They were: Asha, Anita, Angyalka, Amelie, Aishwarya, Aurora. The winning moniker was Asha.

Budapest Zoo considered this a very important event, as this was the first Elephant birth there since 1961.

source: zoobudapest.com

Can you match the words with their definition?

Key:

1. d.

2. a.

3. e.

4. c.

5. b.