Can you divorce a club?

Last night, I enjoyed watching the club I started follow and support when I was about six years old make its way to the third qualifying round in the UEFA Europa League. But even before the final whistle was heard in the arena, I started to shift my attention to my smartphone, where live results from tonight´s late games started to come up. Faraway, another team faced the same challenge, and I was just as interested in that game.
I admit, there's some serious doubt concerning my sympathies. Am I a cheating bastard? A despicable adulterer? Can you love more than one club? Can you divorce a club? Most football fans would probably answer with a somewhat annoyed "NO!", as would I a few years ago. But think about it again. Most of us have probably at least once changed favourite rock group. Wives and husbands divorce, even if their vows were taken in front of their god. Sometimes people actually change god as well. Or become atheists.

That Other Club has its home where my own has been for seventeen years. It is the club where my daughter and my son are learning the art of football. It is the club whose colours I wear while training and coaching my son and his friends. I like the club´s football philosophy. There´s a picture of a friendly handshake in its crest.
Is it any wonder that the attraction grows? It may come to a point when you need to end an old relationship even if, as in any divorce, it comes with a considerable amount of angst and pain.

Perhaps this question will be of no relevance for future generations. Some players change employer as often as I change socks (well, not really but you know what I mean......). Kids tend to follow superstars rather than clubs. They´ll buy a Neymar or Balotelli jersey of any colour. You can find a player whose skills and playing style you admire and follow him or her, wherever the hat is laid. That´s not totally a bad idea.
However I don´t want my kids to ever forget that football is a team sport. It's the teams that win championships and build the structure of the football family. You can worship individual stars in sports like boxing or tennis.
Find a club that deserves your love and devotion, but accept that your relationship might not be life-long.