Time to watch ‘a different tournament’ as Ireland wave goodbye
In the end, you got the feeling that it couldn’t have finished soon enough for many involved.
Certainly, that was the impression you got from the players.
As a dejected Richard Dunne said, with tears in his eyes in a pretty much miserable post-match mixed zone, “we’ve been hammered three times. I’m sick of football.”
We wouldn’t quite go that far. But, while this will be little consolation for the players, the rest of us have to find solace in the smaller moments.
To be honest, I got a vintage one earlier in the day with my taxi driver.
“I spent three years in Tipperary,” he excitedly exclaimed. “I love two things about Ireland: the Cliffs of Moher... and Taco Fries from Abrekebabra.
“Man, I really miss them.”
The tournament, meanwhile, will certainly miss Ireland. Yesterday, Poznan officials made a special representation to Irish fans. The receptionist in my Poznan hotel, meanwhile, was animatedly talking about how she was learning ‘The Fields of Athenry’.
We don’t know if Giovanni Trapattoni will be cheering himself up with a similar recipe, but he’s on his way back to Dublin tomorrow.
Indeed, tonight won’t really never end. About the time you’re reading this, we in the media will probably be attending the manager’s final post-mortem press conference.
Some of the press, then, will go home shortly after the team (we’re no longer allowed on the same flight after the FAI became unhappy with some stories. A hardy few of us will go on though.
For example, the moment after Trap’s final media activities, I’ll be hopping on a train to Warsaw.
And, for me, it almost feels like a new, different tournament is starting. I’ll finally get to see some other football.
It’s one of the weird things about intensely and exclusively following one team in a competition like this. Indeed, Con Houlihan’s famous line stands very true.
So far, I’ve completely missed the tournament because I’ve been at it.
Almost every other match has been on in the background as I’ve tried to put a shape on Trapattoni’s quotes or finish off a last piece. All of the media say the same.
Of course, I’m not complaining – but it’s curious how little you actually see.
The poor players, meanwhile, just seemed glad to see the back of it all.
