A tale of two football matches - one a Messi tale of broken Gooner dreams, the other a dogged defensive story of a European first for Olympique Lyonnais.
The first chapter came on Tuesday evening. I made my way to the Wallace with a little hope but few expectations of a team missing five key players, arguably its five most important players. They were playing the best team in the world after all, who on the night had the best player in the world at the top of his form. It all started so well, perhaps the plucky underdogs scored too early. The little left-footer took over from thereon in, and the rest is history. Ah well, there's always next year.
Part two yesterday was somewhat less stressful, though tense till the end. OL went, took the game to Bordeaux for fifteen minutes, and then defended. And defended, and defended. A goal just before half time put everything on a knife edge but les gones held on for a heroic defeat and a historic victory. First time OL have reached the semi-final of Europe's premier club competition. Even better, they're facing Bayern Munich instead of the evil red empire. The queue for tickets starts tomorrow.
On the political field, the rumours of the alleged affairs of the presidential couple have finally made the headlines in France. Not because of the rumours themselves, which are widely regarded to be false, having stemmed from an unsubstantiated online newspaper blog, but because of the political row that has blown up in their wake. Sarko's praetorian guard, five close chums, have allegedly let it be known that an intelligence service investigation has pointed the finger at former justice minister Rachida Dati as the source of the rumours, in a plot to alienate her from the President's inner circle. Some of the perks she received as a former minister have supposedly been removed as punishment - posh car, bodyguards, etc. Yesterday Carla gave an interview denying any plot,any affair, anything, and today Sarko himself has reportedly ordered his advisors to keep their mouths shut on the subject forthwith…
