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| Mayhrez/Vardy: Key to Leicester Success |
Back in 2008, he was playing in the French fifth
tier. He was only snapped up for a paltry 400,000 pounds. He dared to dream!
Today, Riyad Mayhrez has a medal as a champion in England after been the first
African to be named PFA Player of the
Year…
It wasn’t so long ago that Jamie Vardy was playing
against York City and Kettering Town in non-league cadre in England. Some even
scoffed at his 1 million pounds transfer fee from Fleetwood Town to Leicester City
back in 2012. But Jamie dared to dream. He has just been given a guard of honour
by players of Everton – an honour reserved only for Champions…
 |
| Ranieri and Morgan Lift Trophy |
He’s coaching career has seen him being mocked as a
senile Septuagenarian. He’s been called the Tinkerman who’s almost always the
Nearly Man. He’s been rejected and shamed. He was kicked out of a job at The Bride
cos he allegedly couldn’t take his team at the time to the promise land of
being Champions. In a week’s time, Claudio Ranieri would walk into that Bridge
a champion. He dared to dream…
‘Wanted: worthy rival for decent derby’ read a
banner at the Bernabau in 2011 as Real
Madrid battled city rivals Atletico in a
derby. Well, after not losing to your rivals for 14 years, you can be forgiven
for being so egotistic. Then, along came a Diego! He dared to dream. Since then,
a worthy competitor, threatening not only to break Real’s stranglehold in the
city but the duopoly of Real and Barcelona in the whole of Spain has emerged.
Someone named Simeone dared to dream…
 |
| Real Madrid Got What They Wished For |
 |
| Euro 2004: Greece, Unlikely Winners |
The streets of Greece may be filled with citizens
now groaning under the pains of economic meltdown. But sometime in the summer
of July 4th 2004, the streets were filled with fans who dared to
dream as their team were in the final of the European Championship. Up against
the hosts, Portugal – a team they had beaten just weeks earlier in the
tournament’s opening game, Otto Rehhagel and his Greek side dared to dream.
Eliminating defending champions France in the last 8 and tournament favourites
Czech Reppublic in the semis was an achievement. But that was not all. Greece
dared to dream big and big they won…
Oh, and just a couple of weeks before that, a couple
of miles away, another set of fans dared to dream. They were in an unlikely
final when the likes of AC Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Chelsea had fallen by the way side. But Porto with Jose Mourinho dared to dream and Champions of
Europe they were crowned after a 3:0 demolition of Monaco…
 |
| Euro 92: Most Improbable Story |
That’s not all. A group of players sometime in 1992
were already planning their summer holidays after grueling league campaigns. But a war
in Yugoslavia after a break-up of the country changed the complexion of
football that year. Yugoslavia were barred from featuring in the Euros that
summer. Denmark who failed to qualify for tournament took their place. And for
the likes of Brian Laudrup, Peter Schmeichel and a young Henrikh Larson and co,
they were celebrating an unlikely European title.
What all these teams have in common is just simple:
they dared to dream. Nigeria’s Super Eagles can dare to dream about the 2022
World Cup, Samson Siasia can dare to dream about being Olympic Champion and
better still, Nigeria’s Olympic athletes can dare to dream about getting 10
gold medals at the next tournament. Errrrrm, no, not this year’s Olympics in
case you were wondering.
As I wrap this up, the lyrics of one of Westlife’s
songs just comes to my mind:
“Don’t you know that dreams come true, they do/Dreams
come true, they do/From all of us to all of you they do/Dreams come true.”
Just dare to dream!
This piece first appeared as a column Sixth Sense on Independent Monitor newspaper on Thursday 5th May, 2016.
CREDITS
Leicester City pic courtesy caughtoffside.com
Real Madrid Banner courtesy therealmadridfan.com
Greece Euro Winners courtesy dcgreeks.com
Denmark Euro winners courtesy thedockyards.com
Mayrez/Vardy courtesy dailymail.com
