Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars in Berlin (09-11-2025)

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The day of my fourth live NFL game has arrived, curiously two in New York and two in Berlin. It all started in August 1994 (it was a pre-season game) here in Berlin: it was also my first holiday paid for with my own money. It's chilling to think that more time has passed since then than from my birth to then. It is also my fourth sporting event in Berlin: after the 1994 game, I also attended the 2009 World Athletics Championships and the 2018 European Championships.

In the morning I take a stroll in the city centre: already around 12:30 I notice the metro heading to the stadium is packed (kick-off is at 15:30). At the Brandenburg Gate there are lots of fans, gathered around the NFL logo and flags (while, on the other hand, there's nothing to remind us that today is the anniversary of the fall of the Wall). The most represented teams are Indianapolis and New England, then Tampa Bay, Seattle and Green Bay (I even spot someone with a cheese-shaped hat). Only as I head towards the stadium do I encounter Atlanta fans and those from my beloved San Francisco. The Atlanta supporters seem mostly to come really from there, whereas the Indianapolis fans are mainly German. I catch the S-Bahn to the stadium at around 13:30: it's absolutely crammed, just like rush hour in Rome. I arrive at a place I don't recognise and it takes me a moment to spot the stadium. I follow the crowd and find myself at the first entrance: I recognise the games' area from the 2009 World Championships.

There's a first gate where they check bags, which are only allowed if they're small and transparent: luckily I had read about that and didn't bring my rucksack (though I probably wouldn't have anyway). Then there's a second gate with security checks (a sign warns that the search may involve a pat-down). I go through the metal detector and it beeps, so I'm asked to empty my pockets and go through again, but it still beeps. At this point, they let me through without further checks (probably because of my ankle brace). The third gate has turnstiles for tickets: I struggle a bit to get through, having to try 5-6 times.

Once inside, my first thought is to get something to eat, but all the kiosks have huge queues. I join one, but seeing it's not moving, I decide to give up and try further ahead, near my entrance, to see if there's anything with a shorter queue. On the way, I spot giant helmets for every team, organised by division, and get a photo with the 49ers one. I reach my entrance, which is the area with the most kiosks, and again the queues are long everywhere: it's crowded all over, not just by the kiosks, and it's tough to get through with people queuing and moving in every direction. I see there's a kiosk on the second tier, right in front of my section, and decide to go there: I figure there'll be fewer people since only those in the second tier will be there. Before going in, I pass by the Maifeld and see it's mostly demolished.

I go in: no one checks if I have the right ticket, the check will be upstairs at the entrance to the block. The queue at the kiosk isn't very long, but it's not moving, so I start to worry I won't make it in time for the start of the game (since I'd also need to queue for the toilet) and decide to give up: I head to my seat and no longer feel hungry. It feels like entering an indoor arena: with the football field and NFL symbols, the stadium is unrecognisable, and only by looking at the open part (which is behind me) can one tell it's the Olympiastadion.

I arrive as the teams are finishing their warm-up. At my seat I find a red flag and a sign explaining it's for a choreography. I'm close to the end zone that will be the Colts' in the first quarter: I'll be able to see the action up to about the 40 yard line on my side without binoculars. At 15:10 the ceremony begins, with the presentation of the Colts' defence (and only theirs). Immediately afterwards, the announcer recalls the first American football game played in Berlin, in August 1990 (of course, it was pre-season, as championship games played abroad were a long way off), which I knew nothing about. "Winds of Change" is played and the choreography starts: on one side the colours of the American flag, in the bend the NFL logo, on my side the German flag. The national anthems follow: first the American one, which gets some boos, then the German anthem, sung a cappella by a trio wearing Colts shirts (the home team).

The coin toss for the field is done by ice skater Katharina Witt, who receives a lot of applause, and then the game begins. In less than ten minutes, five drives are played: first the Colts, who reach the 30 but miss a 4th-and-2, then the Falcons lose the ball with a fumble during a sack, then a Colts' TD (with missed PAT), a Falcons' TD and another Colts' TD. On the sixth drive there's the first punt and for a while not much happens, until the Colts have to punt almost from their own end zone, so the Falcons get the ball in good field position and score: they lead 14-13. In the next drive, it reaches the final two minutes and, oddly, the Colts never call timeouts; there's no info on how many they have, but it doesn't seem they've used any. With less than 30 seconds to go, they lose the ball to an intercept and I start heading out to get something to eat during the break.

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This time, I manage to eat, even if it means missing the half-time show: the queue moves quickly. While I'm in the queue for the toilet I realise everything's quiet, so they're about to restart: I decide to wait until the end of the third quarter. I get back in as play resumes, about 30 seconds in, and there's an injury. The Falcons soon extend their lead with a field goal, the Colts rely heavily on Taylor but fail a 4th-and-1, and only in the fourth quarter do they also score a field goal: 17-16. On the next possession, the play of the match (on my side): an 83-yard run by Taylor for a TD, they go for a two-point conversion and fail: 22-17. On the next drive, the Falcons also score a TD, but their two-point conversion succeeds: it's 25-22 and I start fearing overtime, as the cold is felt. In the last drive, the Colts still don't call timeouts when I'd expect it: with about 30 seconds left, they reach the Falcons' 27 and score a field goal: overtime. So far I've been cheering for the Colts, but now I just want it to finish soon, given the cold and that I have dinner plans.

It resumes fairly quickly. I discover that OT is 10 minutes and not 15 as I thought. It'll finish sooner anyway. The Falcons have the first drive and punt, then in their drive the Colts reach the 30 in a couple of plays, so barring disaster, they did it. They keep going with runs up the middle by Taylor, and it was clear it would be like that until either a TD or 4th down: it's a TD. The Colts win 31-25 and celebrate with the whole team in the end zone.

I watch the celebrations for a moment and then head for the exit: I'm one of the first out, but there's still a crowd outside. At the gate I can't really get my bearings: it would make sense to take the underground, but I'm worried I won't find it, so I take the S-Bahn. I'm already thinking about next year: if the venues are the same as this year, I'd love to go to Dublin, but it also depends on where I can get tickets.

Indianapolis Colts - Atlanta Falcons a Berlino (09-11-2025)

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E' arrivato il giorno della mia quarta partita NFL dal vivo, curiosamente due a New York e due a Berlino. Era cominciato tutto nell'agosto del 1994 (era una partita di precampionato), qui a Berlino: fu anche la mia prima vacanza pagata con soldi miei. Agghiacciante pensare che è passato più tempo da allora ad adesso che dalla mia nascita ad allora. E' anche il mio quarto evento sportivo a Berlino: dopo la partita del 1994 sono stato anche ai Mondiali di atletica del 2009 e agli Europei del 2018.

La mattina faccio un giro in centro: già verso le 12,30 vedo che la metro che va allo stadio è piena (il kick-off è alle 15,30. Alla Porta di Brandeburgo si vedono tanti tifosi, attorno al logo e alle bandiere dell'NFL (mentre, di contro, non c'è niente che ricordi che oggi è l'anniversario della caduta del Muro). Le squadre più rappresentate sono Indianapolis e New England, poi Tampa Bay, Seattle e Green Bay (vedo anche uno col cappello a forma di formaggio). Solo andando verso lo stadio incontrerò tifosi di Atlanta e della mia San Francisco. I tifosi di Atlanta sembrano per lo più venire davvero da lì, mentre quelli di Indianapolis sono più tedeschi. Prendo la S-Bahn per lo stadio verso le 13,30: è pienissima, ai livelli di Roma all'ora di punta. Arrivo in un punto che non riconosco, ci metto anche un attimo a vedere lo stadio. Seguo la folla e davanti al primo ingresso mi ritrovo: riconosco l'area giochi dei Mondiali 2009.

C'è un primo cancello dove controllano le borse, che sono ammesse solo se piccole e trasparenti: per fortuna l'avevo letto e non ho portato lo zaino (ma forse non l'avrei fatto comunque). Si passa poi al secondo cancello, con i controlli di sicurezza (un cartello avvisa che la perquisizione potrà comprendere una palpata). Passo al metal detector e suona, mi fanno svuotare le tasche e passare di nuovo, ma suona ancora. A questo punto mi lasciano passare senza approfondire (probabilmente era colpa della ginocchiera. Terzo cancello coi tornelli per i biglietti: faticherò un po' a passare, dovrò fare 5-6 tentativi.

Una volta dentro, la prima cosa che penso è mangiare, ma i chioschi hanno tutti code lunghissime. Mi metto in coda in uno, ma vedendo che non va avanti decido di lasciar perdere e provare se andando più aventi, verso il mio ingresso, c'era qualcosa con meno coda. Passando vedo dei grossi caschi di tutte le squadre, suddivise per division, e mi faccio fare una foto con quello dei 49ers. Arrivo davanti al mio ingresso, che è l'area con più chioschi, e ci sono sempre code lunghissime dappertutto: c'è ressa ovunque, non solo ai chioschi, tra gente in fila e gente che si muove in un senso o nell'altra si fa fatica a passare. Vedo che c'è un chiosco anche al secondo anello, proprio davanti all'ingresso del mio settore e decido di andare lì: penso che col fatto che ci saranno solo quelli del secondo anello ci sarà meno folla. Prima di entrare, passo davanti a campo di Marte e vedo che è stato in gran parte demolito.

Entro: nessuno controlla che abbia il biglietto giusto, il controllo sarà sopra, alla porta d'ingresso al settore. La coda al chiosco non è lunghissima, ma non va avanti, tanto che comincio a temere di non fare in tempo a vedere l'inizio della partita (dovendo poi fare anche un'altra coda per il bagno) e decido di rinunciare: entro negli spalti e non sento più la fame. Sembra di entrare in un impianto indoor: con il campo da football e i simboli NFL lo stadio è irriconoscibile, solo guardando la parte aperta dell'anello (che è alle mie spalle) uno capirebbe che è l'Olympiastadion.

Arrivo che sta finendo il riscaldamento delle squadre. Al mio posto trovo una bandiera rossa, con un cartello che spiega che è per una coreografia. Sono vicino all'end zone che nel primo quarto sarà dei Colts: vedrò senza binocolo le azioni fino più o meno alle 40 yards dal mio lato. Alle 15,10 comincia il cerimoniale, con la presentazione della difesa dei Colts (e solo di loro). Subito dopo lo speaker ricorda la prima partita di football giocata a Berlino, nell'agosto del 1990 (naturalmente precampionato, le partite di campionato giocate all'estero erano molto di là da venire), di cui non sapevo niente. Si esegue "Winds of change" e parte la coreografia: da un lato i colori della bandiera americana, nella curva il logo NFL, dall'altro lato, il mio, la bandiera tedesca. Seguono gli inni nazionali: prima quello americano, che riceve qualche fischio, poi quello tedesco, cantato a cappella da un trio con la maglia dei Colts (squadra di casa).

Sorteggio del campo fatto da Katharina Witt, molto applaudita, poi si parte. In meno di 10 minuti si giocano 5 drive: prima i Colts, arrivati nelle 30, mancano un 4° e 2, poi i Falcons perdono palla con un fumble in un sack, poi TD Colts (non trasformato), TD Falcons e ancora TD Colts. Al sesto drive c'è il primo punt e per un po' non succede gran che, fino a quando i Colts non devono puntare quasi dalla loro end zone, i Falcons quindi recuperano palla in posizione favorevole e segnano: 14-13 per loro. Nel drive successivo si arriva agli ultimi due minuti e stranamente i Colts non chiamano mai timeout, manca l'informazione di quanti ne abbiano, ma non mi sembra ne avessero chiamati. A meno di 30" dalla fine perdono palla per un intercetto e io comincio ad avviarmi verso l'uscita per prendermi da mangiare nell'intervallo.

Stavolta riesco a mangiare, sia pure al prezzo di perdermi lo spettacolo dell'intervallo: la coda scorre rapidamente. Mentre sono in coda per il bagno mi accorgo che tutto tace e che quindi stanno per ricominciare: decido quindi di rimandare alla fine del terzo quarto. Entro che il gioco è ripreso da circa 30" e c'è un infortunio. I Falcons allungano presto con un FG, i Colts si affidano molto a Taylor, ma falliscono un 4° e 1 e solo nel quarto quarto segneranno anche loro un FG: 17-16. Al possesso successivo il gioco della partita (dal mio lato): corsa di 83 yards di Taylor in TD, provano la conversione da due e falliscono: 22-17. Nel drive successivo anche i Falcons vanno in TD, ma a loro la conversione da 2 riesce: siamo 25-22 e comincio a temere il supplementare, visto che il freddo si fa sentire. Nell'ultimo drive i Colts ancora non chiamano timeout quando me lo aspetterei: a circa 30" dalla fine arrivano sulle 27 d'attacco e segnano un field goal: supplementare. Finora ho tifato Colts, ma adesso spero solo finisca presto, tra il freddo e il fatto che ho un impegno a cena.

Si riprende abbastanza rapidamente. Scopro che l'OT è di 10 minuti e non 15 come pensavo. Si finirà comunque prima. Primo drive dei Falcons che puntano, nel loro drive i Colts arrivano sulle 30 in un paio di giochi, quindi salvo suicidi è fatta. Si va avanti a buchi centrali di Taylor, ed è chiaro che sarebbe stato così fino o al CD o al 4° down: è TD. I Colts vincono 31-25 e festeggiano con tutta la squadra in end zone. 

Guardo un attimo i festeggiamenti e poi mi dirigo verso l'uscita: sono tra i primi, ma di ressa fuori ne trovo comunque. All'uscita dei cancelli non capisco tanto dove sono: mi converrebbe prendere la U-Bahn, ma temo di non trovarla e quindi prendo la S-Bahn. Penso già al prossimo anno: se le sedi fossero le stesse di quest'anno mi piacerebbe andare a Dublino, ma dipende anche da dove troverò biglietti

World Athletics Championships in Tokyo - Day 9 (21-09-2025)

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The morning is dedicated to decathlon (apart from the relay re-runs), so there are no Italians. I decide to rest and skip the 110m hurdles and the first discus group and start from the second discus group, if not the pole vault. I also decide to explore the surroundings on foot: I never did this in Budapest, even though the distance was similar (just under 3 km). I arrive around 11.20 a.m. and wonder if the discus is still going on, but I fear not, as the groups are small. I discover that not only is the discus finished, but that group A of the pole vault has already started, as they have anticipated it.

On the side of the second bend and the second half of the back straight (where I am as well), the second deck and the lower half of the third are quite full; in the first deck there are more empty seats, and on the other side there's not many people. Around me there are only (presumably) Japanese spectators, with many Estonians and Germans nearby. Group A consists of 7 athletes, group B of 10. When I arrive, they're at the opening height, 4.70: five attempt it and one doesn't clear it. Also in group B there will be a no measure (the Estonian Tilga, who's already on his second) and Victor will retire after one jump. I hope that after this bloodbath World Athletics will decide to increase the number of participants in combined events. At the end, there are three left at 5.20. Only the American Williams manages to clear it, just about, on his third attempt, and doesn't go any higher.

Group B includes two of the top three in the standings: Garland and Owens-Delerme. The American starts at the opening height of 4.40 and reaches 4.80. The Puerto Rican is left alone at 5.00, which he clears on the second attempt, then confidently clears 5.10 first time. It's getting late and I'd been thinking about leaving for a while: if the first attempt at 5.20 had looked hopeless, I'd have left, but he comes close, and in at least two out of three tries he gives the impression he might make it. In the standings Garland leads, but Neugebauer and Owens-Delerme are less than 100 points behind. Kaul (whom the announcer keeps pronouncing the English way, "Koul") is almost 500 behind, probably too many even for a specialist in the last two events like him.

For the evening session, my plan was to arrive for the second group of the decathlon javelin, with the top 7 in the standings, even if already underway. I arrive, once again, a bit late because I get off at the wrong metro stop. I have a quick look, before finding my seat, and catch the last 3-4 throws. I then see that Neugebauer has taken the lead in the standings. I'm towards the end of the first deck, at the start of the back straight. To my right there’s a group of Brits taking up three rows, with many Germans in the rows in front. In the area, you can also spot Belgians, Swedes and even a Samoan (like the discus thrower Rose). There are many Americans about too. I think this is the most international evening among the crowd.

I find the women's high jump already underway too: when I peek in, they're on the second attempt at 1.88, and when I reach my seat they've already moved on to 1.93. Another very rapid progression: 1.88-1.93-1.97, as in 2013 and 2016. One goes out at 1.88, another four (out of sixteen) at 1.93, and at 1.97 there are six left. It’s also the case that during the third attempt at 1.97 it starts raining, and at 2.00 it gets heavier, until after five jumps—of which only Olyslagers clears hers—the competition is suspended.

Meanwhile, there had been two finals on the track. First, the women's 800 metres: Mary Moraa sets off quickly and leads, but in the final bend is overtaken by the two British athletes, who themselves are then caught on the line by the other Kenyan, Odira. The top three finish under 1'55". The Brits next to me don’t celebrate, despite the double medal: missing out on gold is a huge disappointment. Next are the men’s 5000: they set off quite fast, first kilometre in 2'40", the second and third even faster. They slow on the fourth and Ingebritsen, who was dropping back, moves to the front, but in the final stages drops off again. They come into the last lap with nearly everyone still together, although strung out: the sprint is won by an American, who I later learn is Hocker. No Africans on the podium, just one in the top ten.

Everything was ready for the discus, after they’d changed the measuring tapes in record time after the javelin. However, the rain is heavy and the circle is already wet, so after the first (mediocre) throw by Alekna, the second athlete, Australia’s Denny, throws the discus out of bounds as if it were an old thing: the competition is suspended, and after a while they announce it will restart from scratch.

The relays are held on a track already soaked. The 4x400 starts: after two legs, it looks like a battle between the USA and Botswana (who field all three individual finalists plus Tebogo), but on the third leg South Africa come back with Van Niekerk and it becomes a three-way contest. On the final straight the USA seem to have taken control and look more threatened by South Africa than Botswana, but in the end the individual race champion (forgive me for not writing his name) comes back: gold to Botswana, USA 7 hundredths behind, South Africa third with the same time. Then comes the women’s race, the only Italian presence of the day: after just two legs, USA, Jamaica, Netherlands and Belgium are in the first four position, with wide distances between them. We finish the third leg in sixth, after a good run from Coiro. On the fourth, Poland and Norway are far too strong, but I’d hoped we could at least fight with France, instead we finish last, well adrift.

Then there’s the decathlon 1500. Owens-Delerme goes out hard, while Neugebauer and Garland mark each other at the back. Then the American fades: Neugebauer wins by 20 points from the Puerto Rican and 101 from Garland, Kaul fourth. With the Italian record one would have finished seventh. Only when the women’s 4x100 is about to start do I realise the programme was supposed to finish an hour earlier than on other days. It’s already clear though that it’ll run late because of the field events. The discus shows no sign of restarting, the high jump had resumed when the rain eased: they’d finished at 2.00, with Mahuchikh saving two attempts, the Pole Zozdik clearing them (with difficulty) at the third, and the others out, but then they had to suspend it again.

In the women’s 4x100, USA and Jamaica are close at the last exchange, then the USA seem to pull away but in the end win by just 4 hundredths, while for third Germany comes through. In the men’s race, this time USA win comfortably over Canada, with the Netherlands third.

We’re left waiting for the field events to finish, with no idea when they’ll resume. I hope to see at least the end of the high jump, which should restart first, but for the discus nothing’s happening. Next to me, the English fans are dancing with a German woman and I join in too. She notices my Budapest World Championships t-shirt and tells me she was there too. I tell her this is my ninth Worlds, she replies it’s only her third (and she seems a few years older than me). She asks if I’ll go to Beijing, I say I hope so. Meanwhile, the English remember that first we have Birmingham.

High jumps resumes: none of the attempts at 2.02 metres are successful, so gold goes to Olyslagers, silver to Zodzik, and bronze to Mahuchikh and Topic, who tied for third place. When they announce that the closing ceremony and medal presentation will take place before the discus throw (at the medal plaza, which I never understood where it was), I decide to leave. Of course, if I had been Swedish, Slovenian or Lithuanian, I would have stayed, and probably if I had been German too (but that would have been bad luck). On my way out, I meet several Americans and a group of Australians with the typical inflatable kangaroo.

I used to look forward to the next edition, thinking that it could only get better, as it couldn't possibly get worse, and sometimes I was wrong. Now I look forward to it, hoping that it will be even better than this one. In any case, before Beijing there are the Winter Olympics and, for athletics, the European U18 Championships in Rieti and perhaps the European Championships in Birmingham.