Farewell old friend

A goodbye letter to the Champions League draw, with all its pomp, ceremony and banal chat - we'll miss it!

Dear Friend,

It was great to see you on Thursday evening, it must have been about a year since we last saw each other.

Thanks once again for inviting me to Monaco to hang out, though I’m not sure why we couldn’t have gone to your house in Nyon or met in London for ease, after all, your mate Joe from Paddington was there too.

Pedro and Reshmin were as always the most gracious hosts, even if they did take ages to get to serving the main course.

Sadly I believe this is the last time we’ll be meeting like this, as you’ve decided to make a big change in your life from next September.

I do hope it’s okay if I speak candidly, as I believe you’re making a huge mistake and just going for a big payday instead of keeping the special times we had together.

It’s not to say the way we’ve been doing this for the past few years has been perfect, after all the same guests keep turning up season on season and the same ones are usually left late into the party.

Then there’s the fact that everything seems to take so long to set up and no one really knows what’s going on at the beginning.

Several people spend far too long talking. Lord knows how many times I’ve had to sit through conversations with people I vaguely recognise but have no real right to be at the party. They’re usually regaling us with stories of time gone by and it can be pretty vapid conversation.

But we sure have had some laughs down the years, remember that time you got all the names mixed up when we were deciding teams for the games?

Even Thursday we giggled as that guy from the North East came back for the first time in 20 years and got put straight with a load of lads who have been coming back year after year.

I heard one of the guys from north London who couldn’t make it this year was fuming that his neighbour finally got an invite back and ended up with similarly easy opponents to the ones he had last year, you could barely make it up.

Most people were annoyed that the chap who won last year seems to have it pretty easy, but let’s be honest with his smarts and physical attributes he’s always going to be one of the favourites no matter who he’s up against. I do wish he’d stop showing off all his cash though, we get it lad, you’re well off.

Anyway, back to next year. I can’t believe you’re just going to get rid of this event in favour of a much bigger but ultimately duller shindig. It shouldn’t just be about the money, shouldn’t it be about the fun as well?

Sure you’re from Switzerland but I’m not sure about this Swiss model you’re supposed to be shacking up with, what will Pedro and Reshmin now you’ve got them in your life instead?

I know we complained about the banal chitchat but we’ll miss it really and the games haven’t always been as exciting early on as you sometimes hope but there’s only been six of them so they’re over pretty soon before we get to the sudden death rounds.

We’ll always have our song and whenever it plays I’ll always think of you and the good times we had together, I predict I’ll be hearing it a lot more next year.

But I guess soon I’ll be sat wondering about those halcyon days and reminiscing about those long evenings in Monaco. Maybe you’ll make some new friends from Saudi Arabia, no doubt I’ll still be watching on from afar.

Thanks again old friend,

Love,

Those of us who will miss the Champions League draw…