As you're reading this, you're probably just coming to terms with the fact that there will be no football this week… nothing, nada, niks! The off-season has well and truly set in and we're now in the football dark zone.
That's the problem with tournaments, especially one as epic as the Euro 2016. We, the fans, settle into a comfortable space of denial, unaffected by the fact that football, globally, is technically on a break. We don't care that our calendars are not filled with league football, because we're absorbed in another competition. Even we South Africans, will have picked a team in the Euros – mine being Germany (for obvious reasons).
A frenzy of group games gets us used to watching quality football almost daily. Then comes the inevitable shock of early exits (namely England and Spain); the thrills of a high scoring game (Belgium and France); the contentious penalty shoot-outs (Portugal and Portugal); and the drama of the knockout phases! And while we know the end is near, we're never quite ready for that final whistle on that final day, marking the end of our sojourn into football bliss.
It's only the next day, after the celebrations have subsided, that it hits you – it's officially the off-season! There will be no more football. For a month, that is, before it all starts again. But what on earth do we do for a month?!
This year, thanks to KIA Motors South Africa, my month of no football is not quite as dark as pre-seasons past. This year I get to reminisce, not just about England's astounding exit in the Last 16 of the Euros to Iceland, but also on a rather unexpected journey that took me to Paris to watch the final between hosts France and Portugal at the Stade de France.
What's more, I got to enjoy the experience with two lucky Soccer Laduma readers, Bryne Masasanya and his partner Polite Ndhlovu from Bela Bela, who entered a KIA Motors South Africa competition which was hosted by Soccer Laduma in May.
When Bryne heard that he was the winner of a trip for two to Paris to watch the final, he was, not surprisingly, ecstatic. In his words, "To say the least, I am OVER THE MOON...thank you Soccer Laduuuuuma and KIA! You are champs! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
The fact that France made the final meant that Paris was abuzz with excited locals whose patriotism was at an all-time high. Parisians opened their arms to the tourists and, together, we celebrated their amazing country. Seeing Paris through Bryne and Polite's eyes was even more endearing. Between the two of them, they must have every angle of the Eiffel Tower... and then some... covered by camera! Polite summed it up perfectly, saying, "Eish, France is so beautiful... shem!" Suffice to say we will all be singing Allee Bleue for some time to come!
It's safe to say that Paris, along with the Stade de France, the venue for the final of the Euro 2016, and the entire experience was overwhelming. There's something absolutely enchanting about standing beneath the Eiffel Tower, seeing the city of Paris from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, or just simply soaking up the atmosphere of the football-crazy European fans strolling down the Champs-Elysees.
To KIA Motors, we want to say thank you for making two Soccer Laduma readers' dreams come true. We say thank you for reaching out to our publication, where we always put our readers first. By holding our hands, you've come to see, first-hand, the passion of South African football fans and we hope to continue this journey with you.
To France, we say thank you for making our off-season more bearable with a truly remarkable Euro 2016, possibly the best one ever! And to my fellow football fans now in the dark zone, don't worry, there's always Siyagobhoza to look forward to. It is the transfer window, after all!
Au Revoir
