with thanks ~

With the final match only a few perilous moments away this Sunday I wish to thank each of you for your involvement in this years Euro championships and of course, visiting my rambling blog entries. It has been a remarkable tournament and while showcasing the talents of some the continents finest Footballer’s it has more importantly shown the beautiful spirit and generous hospitality of the people of Switzerland and Austria.

I’m sure each of us will remember this tournament with a series of definitive matches and hallmark plays in the years to come. It’s hard to really focus upon one in particular because quite honestly amongst the joy and even sorrow for some squads, one of the gleaming elements will be the good natured competition and the resolve of teams to fight the good fight, even when they were out-numbered. Oddly enough the overall sportsmanship of the matches reminded me of one of the greatest sporting events in modern history that sadly few remember and occurred not far from the site of today’s final match.

While ancient history to some, roughly forty-four years ago at the 1964 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, legendary Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti assisted the Canadian and English team with repairs to their sleds. Both of those nations went on to win medals in the event and while Mr. Monti is known as one of the finest bobsledders in the sports history, his acts of sportsmanship is one of the greatest legacies in all sport and will be remembered through the ages.

How history looks back on these matches is to be decided but amongst the discussions of great young stars and cagy old veterans I will remember the play of the Turkish team who fought against all odds with pride and passion for their homeland and in the oddest of ways rekindled those memories of the noble Italian sportsman.

With the final match ahead I wish both of the teams the very best of luck and for their fans to go forward and support their teams with honor, passion and good sportsmanship. Joga Bonito ~