EPL and La Liga are now a part of our lifestyle

It's the weekend in Lagos, Nigeria. A first time visitor would be forgiven for mistaking the tension for a political crisis or an impending war.

Groups of young men can be seen hanging in corners arguing animatedly. Exchanging bants and trying hard to ridicule each other.

War truly is upon us and it takes place every weekend.

Adorning the uniforms of their football clubs, thousands of fans head out to do battle at the various football viewing centers around their homes.

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They are hard to miss. The Chelsea fans with their brutish attitudes; Arsenal fans with their never expect to win mentality; Man U fans who act like dethroned royalty and Barcelona/Real Madrid fans of course believe they own football.

Goooaaalllllll. The sound rips through the air as the people in each football center echo each other.

You better hope it's your team doing the scoring. A loss means for the following week you’ll be subject to endless subs from fans of other clubs.

These subs have led to fights between supporters of these clubs and even a few lives have been lost.

But you only have to witness the misery caused by those annoying International breaks, to fully understand how much we depend on these weekend fixtures.

Even if you’re not a fan of this beautiful game, you cannot overlook its ever growing culture and the booming industry it supports.

The ubiquitous football viewing centers and betting shops play a vital role in our economy.

There are some that are of the opinions that our youths should support local football clubs first. But how do you support something you cannot see.

The EPL is a multi-billion Dollar industry and is treated as such. Millions are spent on advertising yearly and their merchandise is readily available.

Where can one get an Akwa United jersey in Lagos or even Akwa Ibom for that matter?

You cannot support what you cannot identify with. Until the NPFL recognizes this, they will steadily be relegated by their foreign counterparts.

Even the great clubs like Barcelona still spend money to remain relevant. But spending money without a plan can backfire, as in the case of Man U and their 'dabmaster' Pogba.

At the end it doesn't matter what club you support, the rivalry is fake. We all are lovers of this beautiful game.

Still, Barcelona will trash any team, anytime, anywhere.