How to watch the UEFA Champions League at work?

There are very few things better in this footballing world than the UEFA Champions League. While each and every person is entitled to have their favorite club, league, or tournament there almost seems some begrudging respect that the Champions League is the top football tournament in the world.

For those of here in the Western Hemisphere there is one big problem: most of the matches occur during work business hours. It is a difficult balance between work and play and midweek matches at 1230 -230 pm does not make things easier.

So how does one watch the UEFA Champions League and at the same time keep up with the goings on at the office. Barring ignoring Champions League scores and watching the games on replay when one gets home (does this still exist anymore?) it can be a difficult process. Thankfully your friends at Playing for 90 have some tips for walking this fine line.

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Option #1: Telecommute

Thanks to the flattening of the world it is now more acceptable than ever to work remotely. There are plenty of perks to this particular option (hot breakfast, sleep in until 5 minutes before 9 am, spend more time with your kids) perhaps the best perk is that one has the chance to watch Television at work. Some people binge watch TV shows, others get into movies, and some even get into sports.

There is very little downside to this option. One has the chance to watch games unabated without the prying eyes of your boss. Even meetings can be chances to keep up on the top match of the day. Just make sure to keep the volume down and not to yell “GOAL!” during Simmons’ presentation of the next TPS report.

If you choose this option remember two things. First, keep your laptop/computer on. The drawback is that you will still need to keep your computer logged on and will still need to be responsive to any emails or calls. You may want to use this as a time to work on a long-term project something that requires maintenance but is not due for awhile.

Second, do not drink any alcoholic beverages. As soon as you crack open that first Heineken the boss will give you a call. Look, nothing is better than a cold one and a footy match. But there is nothing worse than being unemployed.

Option #2: Take an extended lunch break

Lunch breaks are meant as a time to relax, to give one’s brain a chance to slow down, and to think about other things going on outside of the office. A lunch break does not even necessarily have to involve lunch as workers use it as a chance to go to the gym or take care of errands. Sometimes even people can take an extended lunch break, that fantastic time when someone can go beyond the typical 45 minutes.

Now taking a lunch break to watch soccer is a bit difficult. For those who only have 45 minutes to an hour it involves some creative thinking. If one is planning to watch the game at the pub or a restaurant it involves getting in at the right time, ordering at the right time, and avoiding any and all co-workers. Or at least those that would frown at going to a bar and not having a pint.

In this intrepid reporters opinion the best option if one wants to take an extended lunch break is to go to the gym. Especially if you frame it correctly you can change before you get to the gym, get on a treadmill early, and go to town for 45 minutes to an hour. Depending upon one’s personal hygiene you might not even need to take a shower. You get some exercise, keep a few dollars in your pocket, and you can watch a large amount of a match.

Option 3: Watch the match in secret at your work

This is perhaps the most difficult option. Watching a game from the office requires a ton of skill, effort, and luck. Especially since soccer is still not the most popular game here in the United States it is difficult to get a pass from the boss when Sparta Prague are playing. Of course the one exception is if you have your own office which if you fit in this category put your headphones in and enjoy the fruits of your success.

Now for the rest of the worker bees in cubicles/hotel cubes there are a couple of rules to pulling this off. First, work your tail end off the remainder of the day. When that match is on you should have no other assignments lingering, no daily activities to do, and nothing that requires your attention. You do not want someone to contact you during the middle of a match. Take care of your things.

Second, work out an arrangement with the rest of the employees at your level. Look, you aren’t the first person to watch something non-work related at work. YouTube has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry because of this. Although there may be a few good apples who avoid the temptations of the internet most other people are looking at multiple sites at the office. You are not alone so with a wink and a nod develop a relationship with your fellow cubicle mates.

Third, be silent and be smart. Headphones and earbuds were built precisely for this type of stealth operation. Don’t crank the sound up to ten because you will be unable to hear what is going on around you. Keep it at a moderate level.

Fourth, Alt +Tab allows you to quickly change your screen to something that might be a little more work-appropriate.

Also, and this goes for any of the three options, but avoid posting on social media. Companies might not be able to pay attention to what you are viewing on websites but they can certainly monitor your Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Myspace pages (well, you might be okay with Myspace).

Have any other suggestions on how to watch the UEFA Champions League at work? Send us your thoughts!

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