The Unlikely Charm from Rosario: Ivo Soboleosky's Tale of Football Passion
In a world where football fever often dictates the rhythm of life, the story of Ivo Soboleosky reminds us of the unexpected ways in which this sport can touch lives and build bridges across continents. Soboleosky, a passionate fan hailing from Rosario, Argentina—the same hometown as the legendary Lionel Messi—found his football allegiance serendipitously intertwined with the fortunes of a team thousands of miles from his home.
It was in 2015 when Soboleosky, compelled by the allure of an FA Cup clash, found himself watching Bradford City claim a sensational 4-2 victory over Chelsea, then managed by the famously polarizing José Mourinho. "I'm from Rosario, the same city as Messi and I'm a big fan," Soboleosky recalls, with the rivalry between Messi and Mourinho playing a part in his newfound interest. "I was watching the Chelsea v Bradford game and I hated Mourinho because of Messi."
The emphatic win over a Premier League juggernaut left a lasting impression on Soboleosky. "When a third division team beat the top of the Premier League I was buzzing and I wanted to know more about them," he shares. This curiosity metamorphosed into a deeply rooted affection for Bradford City, a club that, until that giant-killing night, had been an unknown entity to the Argentine fan.
A Good Luck Charm
In May 2022, Soboleosky's curiosity took him across the Atlantic to the moorlands of West Yorkshire, where he could witness the team he had come to admire play at Valley Parade. His visit coincided serendipitously with a winning streak for the club. "I was here for three months between December and March and we had a very good run of results where we were winning every game we played," Soboleosky describes.
His presence became a talking point among fans, who began to consider him a "good luck charm" for the Bantams. His departure back to Rosario saw a noticeable decline in the team’s fortunes, inviting some to draw auspicious connections between Soboleosky's presence and the club's fortunes on the pitch.
His inadvertent reputation as a talismanic figure spurred a remarkable gesture from the Bradford faithful. "The fans started calling me the good luck charm and when I went home we started losing games," Soboleosky recounts, highlighting the connection fans felt between his presence and their team’s success. "One of the fans worked out the points per game and said we should do a GoFundMe for this guy to get him back for the last two games."
A Grateful Return
In an extraordinary show of support, fans crowdfunded £1,500 to facilitate Soboleosky's return for Bradford City's decisive end-of-season fixtures. Touched by this generosity, Soboleosky expressed deep appreciation: "I thank them so much. I don't have words enough for not only paying for the trip but all the messages they have sent me on my social media accounts. I don't think I deserve them."
Now, as Bradford City prepares to face Fleetwood Town with aspirations of promotion, Soboleosky’s story underlines the beautiful unpredictability of the sport. It speaks to the broader narrative of how football, in its ability to forge unexpected connections and community, rests at the heart of countless personal odysseys across the globe.
With Soboleosky back in the stands, both he and the Barmy Army hope his beloved Bradford City will indeed rediscover their winning ways, propelled by the indefinable charm that his presence seems to bring.