Matthew Marshall the subject of zerozero report
Regular visitors to this site and his personal X/twitter feed will know all about the remarkable dedication, some may call it an obsession, PortuGOAL reporter Matthew Marshall has with Portuguese football.
One of Portugal’s biggest and best football websites zerozero.pt were so fascinated about Matthew’s odyssey around the country’s football stadiums that they have written an article about him.
Australian-born Matthew talks about how his Portuguese roots, alongside his love of football and history, resulted in him immersing himself in the Westernmost country of mainland Europe, despite only setting foot in Portugal for the first time when he was 27 years old.
To read the full interview and report (in Portuguese) click here: É australiano e já esteve em 98 estádios portugueses: «Não sei como os clubes sobrevivem»
Some choice quotes from the interview
“I can’t explain it, but I get bored watching FC Porto or SC Braga games against teams halfway down the league, for example. But whenever I walk into a new stadium I do so with a smile on my face.”
“I love the relationship between the fans and the players in the lower leagues. It’s an affinity that is lost at the Estádio do Dragão or the Estádio da Luz, where the supporters are treated more like customers than fans.”
“I recently went from a game in Coimbrões to a game at the Estádio do Dragão (laughter). I always try to see new teams and I’m up to 98 stadiums in the country. I’m only missing 1º Dezembro in the top three divisions.”
“The difference between German football and Portuguese football is bizarre and I’ll explain why. In Germany people are very busy in their daily lives and crazy in traffic, a little aggressive even. But on the football pitch there is enormous respect, regardless. In Portugal it’s the opposite. The environment is calm and peaceful until matchday. And it’s not only the big games where violence occurs, but also lower down the leagues. I’ve seen headbutts in Bragança, coaches sent off in Marinha Grande and fighting between players in Gondomar versus Salgueiros, for example. Not to mention a festival of red cards. The fans are actually well-behaved in these games...”
Our thanks to zerozero for the interest shown and for publishing a story well-worth telling!
by Tom Kundert
