Love vs football: a match made in hell?

When he's miserable, ask him to tell you about it - then listen, sympathetically. When he's over the moon, ask him to tell you about it - then listen, approvingly. Get him, in short, to open up about his feelings, and take those feelings seriously.

Sulk or swim
If your partner is a football fan, you have a straight choice. You can see it as a threat to your relationship - and spend days sulking and rowing. Or, you can see it as a relationship-building opportunity. Guess which will work best in the long term?

The bottom line is that even if football seems like his primary love, your relationship doesn't need to lose out.