Beauty of the Beautiful Game still travels well

SOCCER DIARY:From Madrid to Torshaven to Tallinn, a busy week of travel only reinforced the game's universal appeal, writes BRIAN KERR

THAT WAS some week. I had seven flights arranged so if I went to the bookies I’d have been given some odds on the volcanic ash not disrupting at least one of them. But I was lucky.

Spain for the Champions League final, the Faroe Islands for the big derby in Torshavn, Estonia for a reccy and their friendly against Croatia, most of the trips through Copenhagen. I’ve a season ticket for the airport there now. I half expect them to say: “Howya Brian, here again today?”

I arrived in early on Saturday in a buzzing, hot Madrid, allowing me to soak up the atmosphere.

As the day moved on Bayern Munich and Inter supporters began to gently colonise the cobblestoned squares and streets around the Plaza Santa Ana. I absorbed the warm respect and banter between the opposing fans.

And as I strolled among the good-humoured throngs I was suddenly accosted by a Faroese football fan. His first question was, “Do you think we’ll see a Faroese player in the Champions League final?”

I blithely replied “why not?”, and then realised how far away we are from that happening.

But I understood his dream, and I feel some responsibility for helping make it come true in my current role, even if it may be an Everest for the current crew of Faroese players.

His next question was whether I’d make the B36 v HB derby in the Faroes Premier League two days later. It reminded me of how the Faroese, scattered among 18 small remote islands in the north Atlantic, relate so much to the big world of football, while enjoying the cut and thrust of their league.

While Inter’s win might not have looked particularly stimulating on TV, the stadium, the noise, the emotional support of the fans at both ends and the closeness to the action of my row 12 seat (not cheap at €300, but I was glad I paid it) ensured it was a wonderful experience.

In a position generally in line with the Bayern back four I feared for their centre-backs, Van Buyten and Demichelis, from the off as they struggled to deal with the brilliant Milito. They appeared unable to handle his sheer physicality and cuteness.

In the second half I enjoyed the exceptional defensive play of Maicon, Samuel and Lucio, ably insisted by Cambiasso and the ageless Zanetti, as they batted away attack after attack from the limited German frontline directly in my eyeline. This was defending of world-class level, the bulwark of Mourinho’s success with the Italians this year.

Mourinho’s tears, the celebrations of the Inter fans and the overwhelming support of the German fans long after the presentation made it worth lingering in the stadium. One of the world’s great sporting days.

A late night and off to the Faroes via Copenhagen on Sunday for Monday’s game between the Torshavn rivals, a derby that is played and supported with similar intensity to many of Europe’s great derbies, just on a smaller scale. From 30 degrees in Madrid to four or five, with a sharp wind, in the Faroes capital. Bitter.

An important game for me in assessing players, with over one-third of my squad for our next game (a friendly away to Luxembourg on Friday week) due to play. The island’s best artificial surface in a stadium shared by the two teams, each with its own small stand on the same side of the ground, including a separate clubhouse, dressing-rooms and a hospitality area either side of the half-way line.

The contrast between the credit card ticket which you scanned on the way in and security in the Bernabeu, and the Gundadalur Stadium could not be more extreme. The 3,000 attendance ambled in minutes before kick-off, no stiles, walls or fences to keep them out. All of them paying the volunteers standing around who put the money in a large satchel.

The game opened at a frantic pace but the football was positive, neat and tidy with chances frequent at both ends, though the defending lacked the authority of a Lucio or a Samuel. Happily for me, Simun Samuelsen’s mid-half lobbed goal for HB was equalised by Jakup Aborg after 30 minutes: both are in my squad.

Then Odmar Faero, an under-21 international centre-back, put B36 ahead with a brilliant header from a corner.

Half-time was wonderful as almost every child in the Faroe Islands, it seemed, went on the pitch with a ball, their friends and their fathers to practise their skills. Unique but lovely.

The second half was just as keenly fought, with HB pushing the ball around thoughtfully against the breeze, trying to gain parity. The equaliser came in the 70th minute, and from there until the end both teams went at it hammer and tongs looking for the winner. No Mourinho-style defending here. It ended honours even, respect and bragging rights maintained.

Next day I was off to Estonia, via Copenhagen – again. We play Estonia on August 11th in the opening game of our Euro 2012 qualifying group, so I’m there to check the training pitch, the hotel, the food, that sort of stuff, and to watch their game against Croatia.

Tuesday night and I went for a walk around the old town in Tallinn. I was kind of seduced by a noticeboard outside a pub advertising the Ireland v Paraguay game. The game itself didn’t attract me, more the chance Keith Fahey might get a go. I’d have been sorry if I didn’t see his debut.

I capped Keith at under-17, under-19 and under-20 levels, but he was off the radar a little bit after that. At one stage he was playing for Bluebell in the Leinster Senior League before he went to Pat’s, then he started doing his stuff.

I went in to the pub and there was a barman there from James’ Street, a Pat’s supporter. Just arrived this week, married to a girl from Estonia. He got a job in the pub on Monday.

I was only in about five minutes and Keith was warming up to go on. That brought back thoughts of all the Pat’s people whose footsteps Keith was following, people like Curtis Fleming, Paul McGrath, Noel Campbell, Dinny Lowry, Shay Gibbons and Tommy Dunne.

I texted around a few people and shared a little bit of pride about that, about Keith making it.

That was nice. A nice way to round off a lovely week.