The story of how I fell in love with this incredible team

For the past week or so Manchester City have hosted a championship winning side from 6,000 miles away at their Etihad Campus.

Bolivian champions Bolívar have been based at the Etihad Campus for a historic pre-season tour in England. It is the first time the South Americans have played in England, and it is also a special occasion for me as I’ve supported the team for 33 years and counting.

The tour is just the latest episode in strengthening ties between City and Bolívar, after the Bolivian side became a partner club of the City Football Group (CFG) in 2021. The visit is also part of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Bolivia’s most successful club in 1925.

During the tour the club were held 0-0 by Aston Villa reserves in Birmingham, lost a closely fought game 3-2 against Man City Elite Development Squad, and beat Crystal Palace Elite 4-0 on Saturday in London.

My connection with Bolívar goes back to 1992 when I moved to Bolivia’s capital La Paz aged nine.

And on Friday, I was welcomed to the Etihad Campus by CFG and Bolívar and met the manager Flavio Robatto and other members of the management team, including assistant manager and club legend Vladimir Soria.

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write about my passion for the club and watch the team train in Manchester. I now live in Cambridge, so I took the day off work to undertake a personally important assignment and to tell the story of why Bolívar’s visit matters.

This is also the story of how I fell in love with this incredible team, and why their pre-season tour is another milestone towards the one big achievement that has so far eluded the club.

I was born in Doncaster - my dad was a social worker and my mum a teacher. We moved to La