Football can be so brutal. And I am not talking about physical brutality. I mean emotional brutality. In the eleventh run, we didn't make it into the Champions League. Yesterday we played as many of you already know 2:2 against Red Star Belgrade and with that outcome we are out.

I don't have to explain you the rules I think because this here is a sports platform and people who will read this understand how things work I will focus on that what a defeat like that mean to us.

Not Everyone Can Win

This is the basic in competitive sport. That's why the athletes are training hard to bring themselves in better conditions as the component. Physically and mentally. There will always be someone who has to lose. But honestly, no one wants to be the loser. And for me, there is a difference if you lose one game in the regular league or when you lose a game like yesterday. Added to that the fact is that we played much much better, where in front with two goals and lost everything in just 2 minutes. Don't ask me how this happened I don't know.

When you try it eleven times, and you never make it happen it truly hurts.

Why, why, why is firing in our heads looking for answers. It feels like someone is hammering on your soul. 

And precisely that is also a part of the competitive sport a brutal reality which has the power to break someone to take his joy from this sport. I saw this already a lot of times and it happened already with me too. But when we think rationally its just a game. But for athletes it isn't. It's more than that. Especially when you do it already for a long time. The athlete within you became a part of your identity which can be good but also bad. More about that in a different story.

What Is Left At The End?

For me, it's not the first time, and I will play my part to be a blessing for my teammates. Encouraging them to look forward, the past is set in stone there is nothing to change anymore. It is also a fact that the next game is already waiting on Sunday. Not much time to be sad. A helpful thing in my opinion. The circumstances force you to leave the cave of self-pity. But a win on Sunday can change the direction immediately.