A dream come true

When your favourite teams are located nearly 10,000 kilometres away from each other, then opportunities for them to play each other are few and far between. For Oscar Perdomo, a fan from Bogotá, Colombia, a dream will come true this week when the Blue-Whites take on his hometown club FC Millonarios (11/01/23, kick-off: 19:00 local time, 01:00 CET, tickets here). The 27-year-old can’t wait, saying “I’m really looking forward to the game and hope that it will be a great day for fans of the blue and white,” he said in an interview with herthabsc.de (Millonarios’ club colours are also blue and white). Perdomo is not sure yet who he will be supporting when the two face off this week. “Most likely, I’ll have conflicting feelings, but that’s how it should be,” he said with a grin. Perdomo was unable to make the trip to Florida to watch the game live, but will be following the match via the livestream, which will be available in 13 countries.

Perdomo watching a game at the Olympiastadion. — Perdomo on his only trip to the Olympiastadion to see Hertha play so far.

An unexpected surprise on his first visit to Berlin

Perdomo, who works as a language teacher, traveled to Berlin in early 2020 to practice his German and in order to increase his job prospects. While there, he also wanted to watch a football match and chose to go to the Olympiastadion, as our club shared the same colours with his favourite team back home.

With his currywurst and beer in hand, Perdomo headed to his seat at the Olympiastadion ready for the home game against 1. FC Köln. Looking around, he was stunned to find himself in the midst of several red shirts and scarves. “I knew immediately what I’d done — I was sitting in the away end and was the only person there cheering for Hertha,” he remembers. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to cheer about that day as the Blue-Whites lost 5-0. Nevertheless, it did spark a lifelong love for Hertha, one that continued even after his return home. “Despite the defeat, I never forgot the atmosphere the Hertha fans created. The way they stuck together, the incredible Olympiastadion, the support from the stands and the rich footballing tradition in Berlin — I had to become a Herthaner,” Perdomo said.

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The way the fans stuck together, the incredible Olympiastadion, the support from the stands and the rich footballing tradition in Berlin — I had to become a Herthaner!
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–Oscar Perdomo

Fateful words

The history of the Blue-Whites also includes two Colombian players: Adrián Ramos and Jhon Córdoba. Perdomo has a funny connection with the latter, having watched him play on his first trip to the Olympiastadion — albeit for the opposition. The striker scored twice for the Billy Goats that day, and celebrated in front of the away fans where Perdomo was sitting. “Come to Hertha next season!” he remembers yelling at his fellow countryman.

The next season, Córdoba heeded his words and moved to Berlin. “I still can’t believe it, so I do still wonder whether he heard me,” Perdomo said. Not long after the match against Millonarios, the Colombian is looking forward to returning to Berlin. “I want to be in the Ostkurve this time and celebrate a big win together with the fans!” he said. Hopefully, our team will be able to make another of his dreams come true.