Football is Europe’s favorite sport and if you are travelling across the pond this summer, it will be unavoidable. Soccer might not be your thing, but before you head overseas, consider brushing up on your soccer knowledge in case you need something to reference while chatting with cute European boys!
Start your research by picking a team to follow. There are so many professional teams in Europe that it would be a major feat to memorize facts about each one. If you are studying abroad, there is likely to be a professional team in or near the city you will be inhabiting, so it would be easiest to become an expert on that one! Once you have selected your new favorite team, check out the roster online and determine who is the star of the team. In Europe, footballers are the celebrities, so you need to be prepared on who to look out for. A quick internet search on the team can supply you with all the information you will probably need. Pay attention to recent news articles and see if there are any upsets you should be aware of and if there are any upcoming games. After arriving in your new European home, do what collegiettes do best – shop! Scour the nearby stores and look for cute jerseys or scarves you can wear around. Team apparel is a great conversation starter and could lead to scoring a date to the big game.
Some of the most popular places to study abroad are in England, Italy, France, and Spain. Soccer is a huge deal in those countries, especially in England and Spain. Other than the clubs listed below, you will probably hear about Chelsea, Arsenal, AFC Ajax, Valencia CF and Liverpool.
Manchester United
Based in Old Trafford (a little over three hours from London), Manchester United is one of England’s most celebrated soccer teams, and arguably the most popular club in the football world. This could be attributed to the time when David Beckham joined the team and turned it into a global brand. He was playing for Manchester United when he first met Posh! The Red Devils wear red jerseys and white shorts at home; their shirts are currently sponsored by Aon. In 2003, Becks left to join Real Madrid. Now Manchester United is home to Wayne Rooney, one of the world’s best forwards.
Real Madrid CF
At home, Real Madrid wears all white and the jerseys feature the team’s shirt partner’s (bwin.com) name. Collegiettes in Madrid, if you aren’t familiar with Cristiano Ronaldo now, you certainly will be by the end of your trip. Not only is Ronaldo one of the world’s top soccer players, he is also a gorgeous model who was linked to Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton back in the day. Ronaldo played for Manchester United until 2009.
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid’s biggest rival is FC Barcelona- the team who wears the red and blue stripes. Barca’s most famous player is Lionel Messi! If you are anywhere close to Barcelona during your travels, try to get tickets to a game!
Although Victoria Beckham no longer gets to cheer on these famed teams, she has brought her Euro-flair to the United States to cheer on the LA Galaxy.
Collegiettes can get ideas from her chic game day ensemble. It’s perfectly ok to rock a jersey with cute pants and a scarf to a soccer game, but no one would complain if you showed up in a cute sundress and wedges! Take your newfound football knowledge and cheer on your teams!