Zenit fan in 19-day away game trek
Published 16 July, 2008, 14:41
Fans are ready to do a lot to help their team win. But the most loyal of them are capable of real feats, as one Zenit fan spent 19 days on the road to see his idols on away game.
Zenit Saint Petersburg had to play Luch Energia from Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East on July 16. So the Russian champion and UEFA Cup winners’ fan, Ivan, began his journey a month before the starting whistle – on June 17 – to get to the distant city in time.
Ten thousand kilometres separate Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok.
Ivan experienced a lack of money so he couldn’t afford to go by plane or even train. Instead of it he used cheap suburban trains and relied on the kindness of truck drivers, who never rejected his advances.
In the end, he arrived in Vladivostok more than a week before the game – on July 5. Ivan spent 19 days on the road. He wrote about his adventures on an internet blog and became a real hero among fellow Zenit fans.
But his team, which came to Vladivostok by plane, couldn’t make Ivan happy. Driving rain in the Far East on July 16 made the playing conditions difficult for both Luch and Zenit. So the Saint Petersburg team could only manage a scoreless draw.
Now Ivan’s friends are eagerly waiting to see him back in Saint Pete and hear all the stories, which will apparently happen in a month.
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