The day we saw Messi live
In the space of a week my wife and I went from marvelling at Messi on the couch in South Australia to standing pitchside watching him warm up to play Valencia.
In the space of a week my wife and I went from marvelling at Lionel Messi on the couch in South Australia to standing pitch-side watching him warm up to play Valencia.
As we sit back and reflect on our trip it all seems like a dream.
I still remember the phone call I received telling me I’d won a trip to Spain to see Valencia vs Barcelona.
The chance of a lifetime to see the top-of-the-table clash, a private behind-the-scenes tour and being wined and dined through such a breathtaking city. I barely slept a wink on the flights over to Valencia, on the edge of my seat with excitement.
When we arrived in the city we met the other winners - from the USA and Canada - and quickly bonded over our love of LaLiga. The first night we were treated to a tasting of amazing Spanish wine, paired with freshly shaved jamon Iberico - I think the cured ham and the paella was up there with the tastiest food I have ever eaten.
The next day we had a private tour of Metsalla stadium. We walked through the change rooms, onto the pitch and even saw the stadium's chapel.
The stadium is so rich in history and culture it seriously left us with goose bumps. As we walked through the change rooms we were presented with Valencia jerseys with our name on the back; what a great moment!
We were treated to another amazing lunch at a beach club where we tasted Paella presented to us all in a pan that seemed big enough to feed most people in Adelaide. Here we were presented with personalised Barcelona jerseys.
This became a dilemma among the winners as to whose jersey to don the next day for the big match. We were treated to a tour of the city which opened our eyes up to Valencia’s history; the city known for its oranges, Horchata and love of Football.
The match day will definitely go down as one of the best days of my life - a close call with both my wedding day, and the birth of my children! We met representatives of both clubs' official supporters at the most amazing bar across the road from Mestalla. Hearing their stories was a fantastic experience.
In this photo, we're posing with iconic Spanish fan Manolo - es del bombo, which translates to Manolo - the base drummer. Manolo owns a bar next to the stadium and is famous for attending every one of Spain's World Cup matches since 1982. Well, all except the 2010 match against Paraguay, which he missed with pneumonia.
Cue game time and I cannot seriously find words to describe our experience. The crowds gathered before the game; thousands chanting and cheering outside the stadium. You could not help but get carried away in the enthusiasm and the love that the locals had for their team. We had private access to see all the players arrive, standing just a metre away from the likes of Messi and Suarez. A highlight for me was a selfie with Jordi Alba. Then, as the players warmed up we stood watching pitch side; the crowd looking at us like we were celebrities. The game ended 1 – 1, with 90 minutes of anticipation, a disallowed goal and pure freakish skill from the world’s best players.
Fast forward a week and here we are sitting on the couch cheering for Valencia, watching them take on the world’s best players, al the while cherishing the moments we spent exploring their inner sanctum. The LaLiga Santander Experience was remarkable, something that we will forever cherish for the rest of our lives. We cannot thank beIN Sports Australia and Foxtel enough for letting us have this opportunity.
Amunt Valenica!!