After a stressful week I decided to relax in front a good football match on Friday. England was playing Brazil in the new Wembley stadium. Beckham was back with his old mates. Ronaldinho and Kakà were playing first roles in their auriverde outfit. Southern America against Old School Europe. A football cultural choc in perspective.
Noisy tribute
But amazing enough, the only choc I experienced took place before the match. One minute before the match started, the players gathered in the midfield. The crowd became quiet. A second of silence and suddenly, in a general communion, the entire stadium started cracking a two uninterrupted minute round of applause. On the screens of the stadium the portray of recently deceased and 1966 World Cup winner, Alan Ball.
Cheerful
Cheerful was indeed the word which came to my mind at this precise moment. In France, in such a situation, the crowd would have paid tribute to the hero by respecting a minute of silence. In a country renowned for its babbling habits, silence seems indeed to be the highest mark of respect.
But after all, footballers spend their life running after a ball and waiting for the fame and the public recognition. So, what a better tribute than a national stadium proceeding to an ovation? Fabien, Laurent, Zinedine, Didier, Bixente... I live to live this moment of communion. But the later, the better.
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