20 EUR for 3 course dinner in my hotel in Nicosia, Cyprus.
a very nice dinner while the Swiss team ate their dinner in a private room nearby.
after dinner, I ran into 3 Swiss stars dressed in shorts and tshirts in the hotel lobby.
they looked like they were ready for the beach except it was 11 PM and the beach was at least an hour away.
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| twin brothers? |
I came to Cyprus to support my Swiss team in the WC 2014 qualification.
somehow UEFA allowed this match to be played one day after the other 2 matches in the same group.
so the Swiss knew that a win would put them in pole position for Brasil 2014 at the halfway point.
looking at the players on the Swiss team and then the players on Cyprus. before the game, the Swiss was the clear favorite.
can you name a player from Cyprus?
I brought a lot of cash to spend and to help the local economy.
Cyprus needs cash and I thought if all the Swiss fans brought in the cash, may be Cyprus will let us leave with 3 points.
Cyprus was bottom of the group and is likely to stay there. so they dont need 3 points.
but I had a bad feeling.
the Swiss team often has troubles against smaller teams, especially an island in the Mediterranean.
Cyprus had some good results over the years against big teams like France, Germany, Spain and Portugal.
The stadium was quite empty and the wind was strong.
Minute 15, the Swiss star Shaqiri got the ball alone in the box and on his favorite left side. His shot was off target. bad omen.
The Swiss had several chances but nothing on target. The best chance was for Cyprus when a looping shot from the left beat the Swiss goalkeeper but the ball hit the post and came out.
the game ended 0-0.
it was a game full of action but my favorite moment occurred halfway in the second half.
the opposite tribune was empty for most of the game but then a group of protesters entered (how they got in was a mystery!)
they had flares and a banner about 'Hands off Cypus.' they sang something. the FIFA official was very nervous.
just as quickly as they arrived, the protesters orderly departed after 10 minutes.
all the Cyprus fans around me applauded the protesters.
the next morning, the Swiss team ran into me in the hotel.
I asked my favorite Europa League goalie Yann Sommer for a photo and wished him good luck against Tottenham.
then at the airport lounge, the match referee ran into me.
if only I had met him before the game. I had a lot of cash on me.
but then again, he is from Germany and I am sure all the Germans play by the rules.
on to Paris for March Madness Part 3.
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after the Brasil-Italia match last Thursday evening, the Italian captain Gianluigi Buffon ran into me in the hotel bar.
He was a very nice guy.
When I met the team before the match, he was the only player who took time to pose for photos with some fans.
and he did it again when he left the bar at 1 AM!
Buffon is not only a World Champions, he is a gentleman.
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