By Zaihan Mohd Yusof

FOOTBALL and motorbike racing.

They're as different as night and day.

Yet, the more I look at these two sports, the more similar they appear.

The search for answers began recently at a coffee shop, where some biker friends held the opinion that the 2010 Fifa World Cup would be a waste of time.

Surely the "beautiful game" pales in comparison to the ballet-like yet hazardous exploits of motorcycle racers, they argued.

Why the fuss over watching men trying to gain possession of one ball on the field?

It's hard to explain to non-soccer fans, but I hear the same argument from my wife: What's the point of watching bikers ride in circles on a circuit? Both football and motorcycle-racing are team sports supported by legions of loyal fans.

Scoring a goal requires coordination from goalkeeper to striker.

Similarly, each time Ducati's team races in MotoGP, a crew of 20 supports its rider, revealed Claudio Domenicali, Ducati's general manager, who recently visited Singapore.

From tyre specialists to engine technicians, they are there to give their riders the best set-up to score the ultimate goal - a podium finish.

Interestingly, history has shown that World Cup fever eventually finds its way into the paddocks.

Case in point: World Superbikes (SBK) riders showed their support for the upcoming World Cup by visiting the new Soccer City Stadium in South Africa last month.

There for Round 6 of the SBK championship in Kyalami, South Africa, top racers like Max Biaggi, Jonathan Rea and Michel Fabrizio "kicked off" at the 90,000-capacity stadium.

A visible stamp of approval for the 2010 World Cup can be seen on Leon Haslam's (current points leader in the SBK championship) head.

The Briton's new helmet design is a tribute to England's World Cup team. It features two large lion heads, a St George's Cross and the World Cup trophy.

Haslam said: "I love my football and really wanted to do something to recognise and support England...I'll wear the helmet for Sunday's races and maybe some races after that."

And who can forget flamboyant MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi's 2008 antics in Catalunya, Spain? In June that year, the proud Italian ran an Italian football "Azzurri" liveryon his race bike.

In addition, his helmet was painted to look like a football, while his leather suit resembled an Italian football jersey - all done in honour of his country's football team, which won the 2006 World Cup.

The biker's show of dedication marked the start of the Uefa Championship.

Said the Fiat Yamaha rider: "Fiat (Rossi's sponsor) wanted to do something special for the Italian national team before their game against Holland. I think that the bike looks really good."

Yes, the worlds of football and motorcycle-racing are intertwined.

Same sponsors

It's inevitable when you have sponsors which see the potential of both sports securing a strong following.

Last month, Hiroshi Aoyama, a former 250cc champion and now a MotoGP racer for Interwetten Honda team, was given a rock star's welcome at a Barcelona stadium when his MotoGP bike took centre field in front of 20,000 fans.

It so happened that the RCD Espanyol football club and Aoyama's MotoGP team share the same main sponsor, Interwetten, a sports betting company. Perhaps it makes perfect business sense to link the two sports.

A survey by current affairs show Tg2 in 2006 revealed that MotoGP has exceeded football in popularity in football-obsessed Italy.

The results showed that the World Championship has caught the attention of 28.4 million Italians, 2.4 million more than those who follow Serie A.

Some 89 per cent of those surveyed could correctly identify Rossi, who ranks No. 4 in terms of recognition, behind three footballers in Italy's World Cup winning squad.

Even as his career climbs to stratostrophic levels, Rossi has not shied awayfrom being a football fan. He supports his favourite club, Inter Milan, and sometimes attends their matches.

The football club saluted his long-standing loyalty when last year, Inter Milan congratulated Rossi for his championship win in Sepang, Malaysia - his 9th World title.

The club's statement read: "To Valentino, we send the compliments of the entire Inter team and of all the Interisti fans, just like him."

This article was first published in The New Paper.

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