It’s been a long time since Montecarlo’s Golden Foot had its first event in 2003, when the amazing Roberto Baggio won the award. Today the Golden Foot is one of the most popular sport events in the world.The winner, who has to be at least 28 years old, is a player who stood out not only for his talent, but also for his team spirit and his personality – They have to leave their marks on the Champions Promenade, a sort of Hollywood Walk of Fame on the seafront of the Principality of Monaco, and that is why the award can be won only once per player! This experience was wonderful, and I must say I was very excited about being there. I had the chance to have dinner with great football players, discover some of their secret and get in touch with their fascinating and misterious world. The show was hosted by Pierluigi Pardo and Martina Colombari. Pardo was really great. On the other hand I must confess she didn’t completely convince me, and she even embarrassed me a little, mostly because her jokes and “humorous” phrases were a bit out of place and not very spontaneous. Moreover her english isn’t perfect, so she would constantly check her script, which made it impossible for the audience to stay focused. Of course, though, this tiny detail didn’t spoil the night at all and I managed to enjoy every aspect of the event. For example, I had the chance to observe the winner and their behavior and try to guess their life and personality. Gigi Buffon (who competed with Cristiano Ronaldo) won this year’s award. Buffon is very funny, but always late. Just imagine that when they called him on stage,-“And the winner is… Gigi Buffon!”, he didn’t show up!! Awkward atmosphere, moments of panic…They called him at least two more times, but he couldn’t be found. Eventually, Martina Colombari, followed by cameras, had to go and look for him in every room of the Montecarlo’s Yacht Club. This scene was kind of crazy, but fun. The award for “Best Coach” went to Claudio Ranieri (the one who did magic with Leicester City), and I’m very pleased with that as I believe he is a a smart and brave coach, and I also know he’s an exquisite person.
My absolute favorite was the Spanish Charles Puyol, who was awarded as “Football Legend”. I don’t know much about football, but I’m very happy he won. I say so because I had the chance to meet him as he and his wife were sitting at my same table during the dinner that followed the ceremony. Vanessa, his wife, is simply perfect. She’s crazily beautiful, extremely simple and sweet as nobody else. Moreover, seeing her next to her husband was amazing: a real, funny and friendly couple. Their complicity was blatant, and they shared an intimate bond that made me feel comfortable and even moved me. They’re so friendly that after dinner (during which we had tons of toasts), a little tipsy, we decide to go dancing together at the Buddha bar. It was fantastic! I would sometimes look at them and I noticed that he often took her shots from her hands and sweetly told her “Enough drinking!” Moreover she came dancing only after having taken off her night gown (which anyway was very simple) and wearing jeans, t-shirt and trainers, with extremely little makeup. In conclusion, a wonderful couple. I also met some of their friends, for example Deco (who plays fot the Barcelona’s team), that, though, acted more like a celebrity and less friendly. Speaking of great presences of the night, I must mention Fabio Poggioli and Marina Martullo, the two planners who followed each step we made and solved any problem. As a matter of fact these two took care of every client and every detail of the night. A helicopter came and picked us up in Nice and a private car took us from the airport to the event, and everything was totally smooth. Moreover Fabio and Marina even helped me to get into the super-private room where only journalists and Tv reporters were allowed. This event was a blast, even thanks to them, and I want to thank and send love to everybody who made that night special and unforgettable.
