Wear Like The Champions

Being a loyal supporter (or tifosi in Italian) is quite incomplete without donning the shirt of the champions, the other being at the holy ground of the team themselves. RS Iskandar has the story.

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very time you wear your favourite team's shirt, you can declare to all that how proud you are to be a part of the champions without ever playing a single minute as an outfield player.

Mind you, I am not in any way a Manchester United fan. I don't hate them but simply dislike them. What an overrated team, just like the English national football team. Enough said.

The newly crowned champions of Serie A TIM (the top tier of the Italian Football League) of season 2010-11 are AC Milan, better known as Milan. The 18th championship (scudetto in Italian) tied them at par with their cross-town rival, Internazionale Milano (or Inter for short). Both teams, along with Juventus, are among Europe's strongest club football teams, and are also well recognized internationally. Milan have coveted most international titles, earning them the rights to proudly display the slogan "il club più titolato al mondo" (the most successful club in the world) under their crest on their shirts. In addition, Milan is the only European team to adorn the UEFA Badge of Honours in all competitions, having won the top European club championship (the UEFA Champions League) seven times. Unlike champions of other leagues, the Italian champions instead sport a small shield, known as scudetto to signify their previous year’s victory. In England, for example, Premier League champions will adorn golden league patches, in contrast to normal white patches to distinct themselves from their opponents.

I'm through with the details. Moving on with the topic.

As usual, nearing the end of the season, I would be hovering the Net for news and images of what the new shirt for the next season would look like. There would be many leaked photos and designs, as well as rumours. As the end grew near, I stumbled upon what would be the confirmed design of Milan's new home shirt (la maglia casa). The news came from a reputable source, KitKross.

According to Milan's official website, the official launch of the new home shirt will be made during the Adidas Italia week. And when the launching was published, I said to myself that I must grab this shirt before counterfeiters could even get them sold here. So I made my move to Milan Store to order my champions' shirt.

Last season's strip was a such a hit that I almost missed it. Still looking for the TECHFIT™ PowerWEB version though. So, I must get this one customized. In addition to the strip, I added the Serie A TIM patch, the UEFA Badge of Honours, the club's slogan and a name set… which I put my name (3 ISKANDAR). The shirt itself came with the affixed scudetto patch at the centre, signifying their league crown victory. The complete shirt cost me approximately RM 610.00 including shipping charges and delivery by United Parcel Service (UPS). The purchase was done on Thursday morning and I expected five days of delivery.

Or so it seemed.

26 May 2011, 1056 hrs

The consignment (il consegna della milano, as I called it) is out of the warehouse and ready for delivery. The warehouse is at Milan, but obviously not at Milanello, San Siro or the Via Filippo Turati headquarters. I received a notification email on this matter from Milan Store.

26 May 2011, 2145 hrs

Il Consegna reaches Signor UPS' northern Italian facility at Bergamo for scanning and delivery. It's gonna be out of Italia very soon.

26 May 2011, 2345 hrs

Tired of being scanned, il consegna is now thrown to Herr UPS' European port at Köln, Deutschland (that's Cologne, Germany, folks!)

27 May 2011, 2316 hrs

After a night of anxious sleep, il consegna arrives at Shenzhen, China for further handling. Too much hands and laser scans. Can't wait for it already.

29 May 2011, 0900 hrs

Encik UPS Malaysia has il consegna scanned, molested and checked at UPS Sepang facility. Come to ay papi!

30 May 2011, 1042 hrs

The lovely Miss Raudah of NSTP Mail Room has signed il consegna from Abang UPS. The shirt is now at my office. 

I was on leave that day. I woke up to track il consegna as I knew the last location was in Sepang. It was like an unbelievable deception to eyes when I saw the delivery status: DELIVERED. I blinked twice and all came to my senses that il consegna is indeed at my office, waiting to meet its rightful owner. Four days, all the way from Italy… and only time and distance separated us (I was in Kuantan that day). I immediately called my colleague and instructed him to keep il consegna as I will come later to collect it. I told nothing of il consegna and promised to make and official presentation on Wednesday.

Later that day, my brother and me made a stop to collect il consegna at office en route to Melaka. I can't contain the excitement and almost leaked the packaging. I kept it intact and thanking my colleague. Upon reaching Melaka, I got Kyoko (my Canon G12 camera) ready to snap every moment that will happen. And the moment came…

 

Il Consegna della Milan

Belissimo grande! I was speechless upon seeing and caressing the shirt. I officially became the first Milanista in Malaysia to own and wear the fully customized new Milan shirt! I was so happy!

Presenting the new Adidas AC Milan SS Home Shirt 2011-12 in S size. The version I purchased, is of course not the player's version, but an official replica of the player's version. It's quite difficult to find a player's version, as the manufacturer directly supplies players’ kits. The other way to tell this (in this case, Adidas), is the label. An official replica uses ClimaCool™ technology; ForMotion™ or TECHFIT™ PowerWEB are for players as their fabrics are lighter, cooler and more comfortable for maximum performance.

 Fresh from Milan Store

 Customization labels

 

Maglia dei Campioni!

The "scudetto"

 

"The most successful club in the world"

 The official Serie A TIM rubber-textured patch

 

The UEFA Badge of Honours. 7 Volte Campioni d'Europa!

 Customised nameset

 The club's full name in glorious gold script

 The official presentation and photography

"These are the champions"

And as promised, I wore this shirt on Wednesday as my presentazioni ufficiale to positive response and awe, as they always love to see original stuff from overseas, as usual. At the end of day, I managed to get my friend, Jann Jayeff for a mini photo shoot at our office.

I now have 10 Milan shirts from various seasons, tallying the estimated cost of RM 2,500. Good money if I ought to sell them, but no bids or offers accepted. I treasure them greatly like national artefacts.

Now, I'll wait for the away shirt, which would be launched anytime soon. Leaked photos for both away and third kit are already circling around the Net.

Forza Milan! Tu sei tutta la mia vita, 18 volte campioni d’Italia!

Of Being Loyal and Rival

I have no brand preference. I am not a sponsored athlete. I’m just a copywriter, even so Kilometrico or Stabilo never approach me for pen sponsorship for my career.

I wear both Adidas and Puma brands, as reflected on my AC Milan and Italy shirts. Both German power brands are well known, and beyond sports, they ventured into other areas as well. I gotta admit that some Adidas products are better than Puma, and vice-versa.

I stumbled upon this interesting article while looking for some work-related stuff. I knew that both brands are “rival siblings” and would like to share this with my friends. Read and learn from it.

The Town that Sibling Rivalry Built, and Divided

The small Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach might seem a sleepy backwater, but it's home to two of the world's top sportswear companies, thanks to a 60-year-old fight. For decades, the rivalry split the town in two.

The small Aurach River gurgles through the heart of Herzogenaurach, population 24,000, and gives the town its name. But this peaceful, meandering waterway once symbolized a bitter, protracted family feud that divided the town into two distinct camps.

It was all about footwear.

"The town became known as the town where people tend to look down because you'd always tend to look at shoes the person is wearing before you strike up a conversation," said Barbara Smit, a Dutch financial journalist and one of the authors to tackle the story of the Dassler brothers, Rudolf and Adolf.

They started out making shoes together before having a terrible falling out. Their argument resulted in the creation of two sports giants, Puma and Adidas, both still based in the provincial town.

Partners, then enemies

Rudolf and younger brother Adolf, Rudi and Adi to friends, began their shoe business in their mother's laundry room in the 1920s. At the time, electricity supplies in the town were unreliable, and the brothers sometimes had to use pedal power from a stationary bicycle to run their equipment.

"They were very different characters," said Smit. "Adi Dassler was always more thoughtful, a craftsman who enjoyed nothing more than fiddling with his shoes, whereas Rudolf Dassler was a more abrasive, loudmouthed salesman. They complemented each other very well to begin with."

Their new, lightweight sports shoes began to attract attention and they moved into a location south of the Aurach River near the train station.

The Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory jumped onto the world stage in 1936 when they found themselves providing footwear for American Jessie Owens, who won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics.

But after the war, the fraternal relationship fell apart. In Smit's book, "Pitch Invasion," she theorizes that it could have had something to do with Nazi party links and that after Rudolf was picked up by American soldiers and accused of being a member of the SS, he was convinced that his brother had turned him in. Others speculate it could have had something to do with their wives, or a simple misunderstanding in a bomb shelter. No one really knows for sure.

What is certain is that they felt they could no longer work together and in 1948 the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory was split in two.

"More of less in the middle of the night, Rudolf Dassler packed his bags and moved on the other side of the little river," said Smit. "He established Puma on the other side. From there on in, the town was really split in two like a sort of mini Berlin with this little river as a partition in the middle."

And like Berlin's famous wall, it wasn't advisable to cross over, at least when it came to shoes.

Brand loyalty became paramount for many residents. Two camps formed, and dug in.

There were stores, bakers and bars which were unofficially known as either loyal to Rudolf's Puma, or to Adolf's new company, Adidas, which he named using his nickname, Adi, and the first three letters of his last name. There were two soccer teams: the ASV Herzogenaurach club wore the three stripes; the 1 FC Herzogenaurach had the jumping cat on its footwear. Intermarriage was frowned upon.

"I knew a butcher who played for the Puma team," said Ernst Ditrich who works at the town's museum. "He told us the guys from the Adidas team didn't need to bother buying at his store. He didn't want to do business with them. That sort of thing happened."

Wayward son

The brothers never did reconcile. While they are buried in the same cemetery, their graves are about as far apart as possible. But one of their descendents decided the family feud had gone on long enough.

Frank Dassler is the grandson of Rudolf Dassler and grew up living and breathing Puma. Growing up, he had no contact at all with his great-uncle Adolf's family.

"They stayed kind of enemies during the rest of their lives," he said. "It's certainly sad, but from a business point of view it was a good decision, since it motivated both companies to innovate."

But these days, Frank Dassler sits not in Puma's new glass-and-steel headquarters on the bank of the river, but in an office at the Adidas campus further north, on the site of a former American army barracks. Two years ago, he took a job as the Adidas Group's head legal counsel.

"My stepmother and my stepbrother weren't very happy about this decision, they thought it would be a betrayal against my grandfather," he said.

His taboo breaking raised more than a few eyebrows in the town and the local newspapers were not always so kind.

"But this rivalry was years ago, it's history now," he said.

Lost its punch

Indeed, young people today seem little concerned with the once-intense rivalry.

"It's not so strong anymore. It was like that before, but now, I don't think people care so much," said 14-year-old Teresa, who was wearing Puma shoes but carrying an Adidas bag. "Sometimes Puma has something better, sometimes Adidas. It just depends."

But Hermann Lindner, 41, who was with his family (all wearing Puma) at a festival for the Argentinian team who is staying in the town for the World Cup, says the two camps haven't entirely folded up their tents.

"No, it's not as extreme as it used to be, but you still find people who stick to Puma and other who only wear Adidas," he said. "People do make the distinction."

And while most think things are better now that rivalry has cooled, some knew how to make the most of it when it was raging, Frank Dassler says. He remembers that when handymen would come to work at his grandfather's house, they would sometimes wear Adidas shoes on purpose. When Rudolf would see their footwear, he'd tell them to go to the basement and pick out a pair of Puma shoes, which they could have for free.

"Rudolf simply couldn't stand the fact that someone was wearing an Adidas shoe in his private home," Dassler said.

A Dream in Time

 

Suddenly, in the midst of the forest, as I was lost; and I heard a voice.
 

“Rizal Iskandar,” it said, “whither are you wandering alone?”
 

“Who are you?” I answered. “And where art thou?"
 

A tall figure appeared, wearing a black and tan costume, with a white scarf. He was handsome, and smiled as he walked towards me, as if he came from an unseen platform or stairs of clouds.

 

“Lost are we,” he said, “you should seem surprised to see me, but you are not.”
 

“I never expect to see you here. After all, I am in search of myself. This dark forest is trapping me to an unknown space,” I said desperately.
 

“Look here, Iskandar. You have the power, the power that could guide mankind to love. Why can’t you use the power to love yourself? Indeed you are, my friend, have your say.”
 

“What would be of me? I wish I could use it, but it is against my principle.”
 

“It is against the rule, my friend. Rules are conditions; they may have exceptions. Principles, as you hold to it could not break the bond that are what you call law.”

Soul Gone Home (Al-Fatihah)

It’s been more than 20 days since the demise of my late grandmother. It is just now that I have the will to write something about her.

Nevertheless, I pray for Allah SWT for He is All Merciful and bless her soul.

*************

My late grandma, Toyot binti Kelas, or Nek Wan as she was affectionately known, was the last of my grandparents. She succumbed to stomach tumour at the age of 76 on May 4, 2011 at Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching.

*************

I was her first grandson. She gave me the best of what any grandma in this world gives for their grandsons. I admit that when I grew up, I used to bully her like, playfully. There were also times that I argued with her over adolescent stuff… that was bitter. But all was forgiven soon after.  We became closer, and whenever we moved she would be there with us. She followed us for most of our trips, and every Aidilfitri, she would always be swarmed by a legion of her grandchildren. How we love Hari Raya with her with us. We would make preparations together. I would help her getting stuff and at the end, she would entertain us with stories and occasional jokes. Since I live in KL, I only see her once or twice whenever I return home. And now it would be no more.

*************

Prior to her demise, my mom commuted from Melaka to Kuching to visit and taking care of my ailing grandma for three consecutive weekends. On her first trip, grandma fell at home and broke her hip. She was hospitalized and in stable condition, after an operation.

On my mom’s second trip, there was this feeling that made me feel something is definitely not right. Grandma was admitted to the emergency care earlier. After sending my mom to the airport during the wee hours in the morning, I talked to my youngest brother, who also skipped Friday classes to stay with me in KL, about the possibilities of losing grandma.

“Iwan, I have this feeling that we will not see Nek Wan this Raya.”

“Me too, mom said her condition worsened.”

“Then we should return home someday to see her, even if it means to see her grave.”

Grandma was admitted to ICU a few days’ later following haemorrhage and her tumour worsened. My mom was forced to return to Melaka for a while, and when grandma gave no response to medication and begun to depend on life support machine, the whole family flew to Kuching. I flew home two days afterwards.

When I reached Kuching, I immediately went to the hospital to visit her. When I first saw her, I was speechless. Although I was well informed of her condition, seeing her first-hand was quite devastating. Machines and wires were all over grandma’s motionless body. She was breathing with her mouth occasionally gasping a little and her body was cold. The readings on the machines didn’t help much; I talked with the nurse and assessed her condition. She was technically critical. I went out from the ward and met other relatives who thronged to visit her. Some were carrying Surah Yasin, giving a clear indication that the worst would be soon.

I visited and took care of her a few times. I talked to her, recited Surah Yasin and told her everything that I want to tell. Until my last day at home, I visited her for the last time, stroking and bade her farewell as I knew it would be the very last time I see her in flesh. My family return to Melaka the next day and we all kept in touch with others at Kuching.

It was indeed the last time.

*************

It was May 4, 2011, 1110 hours. I just arrived home from work and meeting with friends. I was quite spent and wanted to rest when my brother-in-law called.

“Den, did you know that Nek Wan have an operation today? She’s been there for six hours and the doctors are giving another 10 minutes on attempting to resuscitate her. After that, you know what-lah.”

As mentioned, we all were well informed of her condition and whereabouts. So news of her undergone an operation was known, but with another 10 minutes to spare, she would be gone if all else fails. I gulped a few drinks, got changed and waited for the next call.

Then the worst came to my ears. The call was answered.

“Den, be patient. Nenek has gone.”

I paused and recited innalillah wa inna ilaihi raji’un (From Him we come, to Him we return) afterwards. I asked of her passing and the situation over there. My sister was in shock and couldn’t hold back her tears. I told her that all we all do is to pray for her soul. I was requested to call my mom to deliver the news, but I called my dad instead as I have no courage and idea how to tell my mom.

“No problem, I’ll tell mom,” my dad said.

“In the meantime, get ready and go to Melaka. I will arrange for mom’s flight to Kuching at the earliest flight possible. Go forth.”

I packed and didn’t even bathe. I drove off to Melaka to fetch my mom and brother at 0000 hours. I reached Melaka at 0230 hours and rested for a while. I got my brother to massage me and off we went to the airport at 0430 hours. Mom’s flight was at 0715 hours and after checking her in, me and brother went back to my place where we got stuck in traffic jam near Puchong and several slow drives. At home, I rested and took a 30-minute nap and prepared for work. I dressed myself in black as I mourned the passing of grandma. I was sleepy like hell and depended on overdosed caffeine to put myself up to par.

The funeral ceremony was conducted without any hindrance and shortcomings. Throngs of relatives, grandchildren and family members visited her for the last time. Mom was fine as well. I wasn’t crying because I have told myself that grandma wouldn’t make it when I last saw her few days earlier. I saw her day was nearing. I knew that she would be gone. Now that I have taken the reality of grandma’s demise, I smile in reminisce our good old days and every time I remember her, I’ll recite some ayahs for her soul.

This Hari Raya would be different without her. I will visit her grave.

Nek Wan, I miss you. We would see each other again in the Hereafter. Al-Fatihah.

FELICITAZIONE, MILAN!

Congratulations to A.C.  Milan, my supported football team for winning the Italian Serie A TIM league for the 18^th time. Their win made them level with its inter-city rival, Internazionale Milan.

 

With just one point needed to secure the top flight finish, Milan played well against A.S. Roma at the Olympic Stadium, Rome which produced a goalless draw, thus sending coach Massimiliano Allegri’s boys to heaven.

The last time Milan won the scudetto was in 2004. The trophy celebration is expected to be sometime in next week.

The jubilant team and their fans back in Milan are celebrating the triumph in style.

 

Here’s what coach Allegri has to say:

“Today is calmer and with a cold head you can think better... the huge flow of adrenaline from yesterday is gone now. The lads did everything perfectly, they were diligent in the first half and played even better after the break.

Credit for this Scudetto goes to everyone who’s worked around the team, but most of all to the President, who provided the resources to assemble an excellent squad.

My relationship with Adriano Galliani is great, we spend a lot of time together. He’s been fantastic. At the beginning, when I needed to get to know the club quickly, he was there to help me.

After the game against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, despite the loss, I was convinced that this team was still in the making and that we could do great things. The draw against Bari was another unexpected setback, which came at the beginning of the period where we came close to deciding the championship. But I didn’t worry, because I knew that the lads were working hard. I had no doubts we would go into the derby with the right approach and, indeed, we did, even though in my opinion the toughest match, besides the derby, was the away game in Florence. This team has demonstrated that it didn’t win by chance.

I consider myself a Milanista. I may be a bit reticent, but last night I got very moved.

It’s too early to say if Pirlo and Gattuso will leave. Together with the club we’ll evaluate the situation, taking into account the players’ demands. The 'old guard' has helped me a lot this season. Pirlo had quite an unlucky year, but he’s an important player with exceptional skills.

Ambrosini, Gattuso and Nesta, in a word the Rossoneri 'old guard', didn’t stop at helping me settle in, but they also gave a hand to the newcomers by making them understand that we’re Milan and therefore we must work hard every day to win game after game.

I thank all the fans for what they’ve done for the team and for me. We want them to join us at the San Siro Saturday night to celebrate this success that we all deserved”.

 

Forza Milan, campioni d’Italia 2011!