Dribbling Through Europe - Act 3
November 22, 2007 11:00 AM
*The third and final installment of my trip through Europe. If you've managed to follow along, I applaud you. If you've missed the previous posts, check the archive below.
This entry begins in Greece, where I was much more likely to find soccer than in Paris. Plus, September is a great time to go because the weather cools down to about 25-30 celsius (that's right, cools down to) and there is less tourists mucking about.
Fortunately, the country is soccer crazy, at least in part due to their improbable Euro 2004 victory. Even though it is three years later, there are still old posters and t-shirts of the moment everywhere. Then again, there were also lots of 2002 summer Olympic stuff too (at rock-bottom prices!), so I suppose the Greeks really hang onto their sporting event memorabilia. Or they are simply the remnants of street vendors trying to capitalize on a big event to make a quick buck. Either way, thats what I'm here for. Part of visiting a country is seeing what the local tourist shops are peddling. And as visitors to Canada return with maple syrup and a fur hat, visitors to Greece stock up on ouzo and soccer jerseys. Every shop has its racks and racks of soccer shirts (and ouzo!). As long as you were looking for the usual international stars (Ronaldinho, Kaka, Totti, Rooney, van Nistelrooy, Raul, Ronaldo, Ballack, Drogba and on and on and on), you could find jerseys from any of the last few years and in any size you wish.
Now I would be remiss if I didn't explain one fine detail. These aren't the real jerseys and don't be fooled by any merchants that tell you otherwise. They are replicas. But that shouldn't discourage you - if you are patient and look around, you will undoubtedly find jerseys of startlingly good quality and design. I was very particular in what I wanted. I wanted to get a number of jerseys of players that I particularly supported, but not necessarily willing to shell out $100 or more for their authentic one. That excluded all but one team for me - Liverpool. When I buy a Liverpool jersey, like their new black one, it has to be real. But every other team is fair game.
And you really would be remiss if you came back without a couple of shirts, especially considering the prices. Most places, given it's the end of their busy tourist season, were willing to sell a shirt for 10 Euro, or between $14 and $15 CDN. You could probably haggle with them for lower, but ten seemed reasonable to me - anyone that tried to tell me $15 or $20, I simply laughed at and walked across the street to the next one.
The only problem is that buying theses things tends to get addicting. When you buy one, you buy two and then three. Or in my case, seven. But hey, we have a 'casual Friday' policy at the Whitecaps office where soccer jerseys are welcomed, so I can rotate through almost two months of tops now. However, my decisions were never easy. I'm one of those types that takes wearing a jersey of any kind very seriously. After all, when you are wearing a name on your back, you are broadcasting to the world (or at least, other fans) who you support and sometimes that gives an indication of the type of person you are. So I tormented over a number of players. For example, I love Wayne Rooney and United's blue jersey is especially sharp, but I just couldn't put Liverpool's rival across my chest. I was also very picky about a jersey from a national team - such as Totti's Italian shirt. When it is countries involved, I just don't think you can wear just any old country's colors, unless you have roots there or some other warranted reason. As a result, as much as a Totti/Italy, a Ronaldinho/Brazil or a van Nistelrooy/Holland interested me, I balked at purchasing them. I did buy an Ireland one, as I have such a heritage, and also a Greece one. This one is a little looser in ties, as I bought it out of sheer appreciation for the people, the food and the hospitality. I loved every minute in Greece and plan to return a few times in my lifetime. So hopefully that is enough!
As for the others, here is a rundown of my reasons:
Rivaldo - AEK (black): I actually bought this in order to get a lower price for the authentic Greek national team one. I'm not a big fan of Rivaldo, as he seems rather self-involved and has not been content with playing time or role where ever he has landed. But I appreciate his skills and this particular black jersey was sharp looking and rare.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Inter Milan (white): Again I only found this white one in on location (the black and blue striped one was one of the most common shirts I came across) on the island of Kos. I'm a big fan of Zlatan and his magic with the ball.
Fernando Torres - Atletico Madrid (red): Liverpool's 'next Ian Rush' - as soon as I saw this shirt from last season, I knew I needed to have it.
Thierry Henry - Barcelona (new light blue and yellow): Finally, I can support Thierry Henry! There was no way I was ever supporting him with Arsenal, much less with France, so his arrival to Barca paved the way for me to truly appreciate his relentless dominance.
Roberto Carlos, Fenerbahce (blue and yellow): Now this was tough to find, but I wasn't going to leave Turkey without one. He may be past his prime, but he's a true legend.
All in all, a nice range of players and nationalities. Once Euro 2008 starts, I'll just about have a shirt to wear for every match!
Posted By: Ryan Mckee on November 22, 2007 11:00 AM
