One by one
"Kosevo” Stadium is the largest in Bosnia, having been built with a running track for the 1984 Olympic Games. It was used for the Balkan Athletics Championship in 1996, and is also home to the Bosnian National Team. However, the local club side, FK Sarajevo, is really the team who breathes life into this stadium, attracting thousands of fans and undying loyalty.
We were warned as soon as we stepped onto Bosnian soil that we would not have an easy time of it during the match, or after, due to Sarajevo’s home support. The local fans cautioned us that there was only one moment when they would express any friendliness. That brief moment did indeed occur before the game when they eagerly shook our hands and wished us good luck. And so their warnings proved true. The small group of CFR fans was merely a drop in an ocean, an ocean threatening to swallow us whole in a whirlpool of cheers. The stadium seemed to fill slowly, creating a perfect calm before the storm. The referee’s whistle was the spark that triggered the explosion. “One by one, singing as one” –the message the Sarajevo supporters sent us. They were singing as one, in almost perfect harmony, the stands responding with an intensity that made the hairs on our skin stand on end. It was as if they were singing a war song. During the whole match, the atmosphere was uproarious. The fans appeared to yell everything on cue, in a perfectly choreographed display. Everyone was clapping their hands as one, every row jumping with such intensity, all contributing to create a special atmosphere, incomparable to anything we have seen on any other stadium in Europe. There, in Bosnia, they eat, breathe and live football at maximum intensity, the pitch and the stands where they release their energy, all with a purpose. It’s the energy that comes from the centuries-long wars, stored in their blood, forcing them to become one, a united nation. Their suffering united them. It gave life to the incredible spectacle that so delighted us. Even though the final result was not to their advantage, the crowd continued to sing unabated. After the final whistle, they still kept singing.
CFR’s players must emulate this spirit, fighting for each other, united as a team. They should fight for the club colours, and for those who support them unconditionally. CFR Cluj supporters, though few in number, have made sacrifices, leaving their homes and backing the team anywhere and everywhere. They deserve to be greeted properly, not with superficial applause from midfield.
Immersed in a sea of white and dark red, we felt privileged, even spoiled. We were able to do more than simply dream of CFR’s ideal support. With eyes wide open, we were able to see it. We felt football at another level, witnessing what could be done. What matters is what we learned, what we will take from all this. For now, we continue to dream, knowing that time, only time, can bring a similar attitude in our home, in Gruia
Special thanks for editing the text to Alexandru Veresezan, www.cfrcluj.net owner
Photo gallery: KVSC1907 Gallery in Bosnia and Herzegovina
You can tell me your impressions about the article at borosmelania@kvsc1907.ro
| Melania Boroş (sky20vog) |  |
25.08.2009