By Anna Italia
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The love of a fan to his team is just beyond words, beyond reasoning.. it’s a matter of the heart, devotion, and believe. The story of Juventus fan Nicolò De Marchi proposal to Juventus to walk to Berlin for a tickets if Juventus made it to the UEFA Champions League Final became a reality. Yes, De Marchi did it and he arrived in Berlin on Friday 5 June just a day before the scheduled Champions League Final on Saturday 6 June at the Olympiasadion.
De Marchi traveled 9 days departing on May 28 covering over 900km, mostly on foot, with some stretches by bike, and a perilous 12km stretch in which he was permitted to get a lift in a car.
De Marchi saying, “Everything stems from a tweet by Juventus in which they asked supporters what we’d be willing to do if Juve made it to the final,” De Marchi told UEFA.com. “I said I would walk to Berlin if we managed to qualify. That’s what happened. I was contacted and offered a chance to have a ticket for the final, which was my dream. Juventus said to me: ‘Since there’s not much time, and it’s a long way to walk, we’ll give you a bike too.’ I accepted without hesitation.”
Juventus – Barcelona
The original arrival was scheduled on Thursday 4 June, but De Marchi took an extra day to recover of fatigue. “All things considered, my feet are fine – the problem is my legs,” he said. “My calves have suffered so much in recent days, but once I got to Berlin the pain disappeared. I’m so happy to be here and to have made it.
De Marchi giving his declarations to UEFA.com, “The physical effort, which was huge, had been building day by day. I was in pain in the evening, then in the afternoon too. One day towards the end, I got up and my legs barely responded to what I wanted. It was so tough. I don’t know how I managed to find the strength. I think it was thanks to the strength of the people, my family and friends who have always supported me.”
It has been a painful but fulfilling journey. “The best moments of the trip include when I set off, leaving from the stadium and seeing it empty,” he said. “That was beautiful. Receiving day-to-day support from people was very moving. That made me stronger. Also the fact it became more and more difficult with each passing day and I kept saying to myself: ‘It’s OK, I’m getting there.’
“The worst moment was whenever there was a steep ascent when I was walking or on the bike. I would go round a bend, look and say: ‘Oh no, another steep bit,’ which meant another huge effort for my legs. It was tough but I always managed it. I carried on calling on my last remaining energy reserves. And now I’m here.”
Click the video to watch Juventus fan Nicolo De Marchi arriving in Berlin, Germany to get his ticket for the Champions League Final.