They say you should never meet your heroes, but what do ‘they’ really know? After all, who’s going to turn down the chance not just to meet their hero, but hang out, kick about and get stuck into some activities with them? Certainly not us.
That’s what’s on offer for some very lucky football fans right now, as Eric Cantona’s footie-themed travel company Looking FC, which launched back in 2022, has partnered with Dharma, another operator, to provide a programme of 11 different trips. Each promises a ‘cultural’ encounter with a retired star – but what will you actually be doing?
Well, there’s a chance to play some beach football with former Portugal striker Nuno Gomes in Lisbon, as well as having a go at a padel tournament with Marco Materazzi in Milan. Then there’s the chance to take part in some quirkier activities, such as a street art workshop with Cantona himself, a cooking class with Emmanuel Petit or a boogie and a sing-song with Javier Zanetti, in destinations all over Europe.
Each trip will include a chance to have your own merch signed by the footballer, plus guaranteed seats to an important match. On the unveiling of this programme, Cantona said: ‘Our goal is to … allow football fans to discover the world and its cities through its local football culture. We want our community to feel the love, the agony, the ecstasy, the passion of being a football fan,’ according to the Times.
The getaways are scheduled to take place between November 2024 and May 2025. If you’re keen to get the ball rolling on your session with a legend, you can do so on Looking FC’s website.
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