Santo Darmosumarto, the Counselor of Information, Social and Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

To some extent, it's the job of Santo Darmosumarto, the Counselor of Information, Social and Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy, to take an interest in local culture. Yet when you see the amount of memorabilia dedicated to Beijing's soccer team, Beijing Guoan, that fills his office - including framed photos of him cheering the team on wearing their signature green jersey - it becomes clear that Darmosumarto's dedication is more than professional.

Like many other soccer enthusiasts, Darmosumarto likes to root for the home team, and first took an interest in Beijing Guoan during his first posting, from 2005 to 2009. It wasn't until his second posting, though, that Darmosumarto became an avid fan, seldom missing a game since he returned in 2014.

His growing collection of Guoan gear now includes jerseys, shoes, a scarf and even a tie featuring the team's logo. "Normally I buy the jerseys on Taobao, which really improved my Chinese because I had to search for them," he said. "When you buy Beijing Guoan stuff, you increase your connection both with the team and with other people." Among his jerseys is one with a five on the back - the number of celebrated midfielder Darko Matic, his favorite player who recently completed his contract with Guoan and joined Liaoning Hongyun. "If he signed this shirt, I would be crazy," said Darmosumarto.

Darmosumarto first saw what Beijing Guoan could do during his first post in 2007, when they played a friendly game against his favorite team, FC Barcelona. Impressed, he began following Guoan. Though he had already moved back to Indonesia, Darmosumarto vowed then that if he ever had the chance to come back to China, he would see them play as often as possible.

Though that isn't always possible because of work, Darmosumarto says he squeezes in as many games as possible. "I have even gone to games straight from work by walking from the embassy to the stadium," he said. "A couple of times, I forgot to bring my jersey and just watched the game in my suit."

Though it wouldn't be hard for him to score premium seats, Darmosumarto he says he usually buys cheap tickets so he can sit amid the team's fans. "Chinese fans always asked me why I watch Beijing Guoan, and I tell them that the Beijing team is actually one of the best teams in the Chinese Super League," Darmosumarto said.

But for Darmosumarto, enjoying soccer has greater meaning than just the game itself. "How different teams perform and what kind of strategy they use can really show you something about the place and time that they come from," he said. "When you talk about Italian defensive soccer, or British direct soccer, it's quite representative of the society. So in a sense, when you watch soccer here as well, it tells you something about China."

Best of all, he said it makes him feel at home. "Sports are something that can cross boundaries," said Darmosumarto.