Student chases Manchester to watch them play live
dubai — If you thought staying up all night to watch your favourite football team play on television was enough to make you a dedicated fan, then think again. A Dubai-based student has spent thousands of dirhams travelling back and forth to Manchester in an attempt to meet the players of his favourite football team, Manchester City.
Sultan Zaki Fakiha, 20, said he has made 11 trips to Manchester in the past two years to watch the team play live, spending nearly Dh26,000.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, the Saudi national also admitted that he had tried to locate them within the city several times, but couldn’t pass their security.
“In Manchester, it’s pretty hard to meet them because they don’t usually stay together and sometimes if they do, it’s impossible to reach them because there’s so much security. I fly out to Manchester every time they are playing there and it’s worth it.
“When I go to Manchester, I try to find out where they are staying or which restaurants they are visiting, but security is too tight. It’s very difficult,” he said.
But it was actually in the UAE where he did manage to meet most of the players after tracking down their hotel during the team’s visit to Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace in 2015. And it was an experience
When I finally met the players it felt amazing because I had wanted to meet them for so long and the moments were captured forever in photos.” Sultan Zaki Fakiha, orthodontist student
that has left him wanting more, as he hopes to meet them again and hopes to get signed on the team one day to play professionally.
“In 2015, when I was visiting Saudi, I researched on Google and found out they were training in the field of the Emirates Palace. So I checked their Instagram page and it showed that they really were there. I booked a flight back on the next day and I went down to Emirates Palace where they were training.
“When I finally met the players it felt amazing because I had wanted to meet them for so long and the moments were captured forever in photos.”
Fakiha said that he tries to leave “enough distance” between him and the players so they don’t feel uncomfortable.
He hopes that the team notices the efforts he has made for them and wishes that they will invite him as a VIP guest to watch one of their matches.
“It felt really good meeting them, especially the fact I’ve met Vincent Kompany. He’s my favourite player and we play in the same position. One of my biggest dreams is to play alongside him in defence and hopefully it may happen one day,” he said.
Fakiha, an orthodontist student, said he manages to strike a good balance between travel and study.
“I’m always carrying a book with me to study and I try to do any of my assignments that are due while I’m traveling. But, usually my goal is to finish all my work before leaving so I can focus on the match,” Sultan said.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com