By Melody Stewart
Intro: Destination Paris Review
Where to stream it? Paramount +
Starring: Guillem Balague
Produced by: Peter Radovich
Destination Paris documents the tour of UEFA leagues (Union of European Football Associations) vying to win a shot at the UEFA Finals 2022 game in Paris, France. To be honest, I was really hoping that it was actually a travel show. But the good news for fans of the game is that “football,” as it's known in the rest of the world, is an emotional game for both players and viewers. And that makes for good TV.
Yesterday and Today
While not a sports fan myself, I was actually in Paris during the 2015 UEFA Finals. It was a baffling experience for an American who doesn't follow the sport. Banners and flags lined the streets and from the Eiffel Tower, we could see the gigantic stadium that would soon be filled with fans. An energy unlike anything I've felt surged from the city in anticipation of the game.
In contrast, this year's UEFA matches faced many challenges as the world slowly recovers from Covid and deals with the war in Ukraine. This time masks hide the enthusiasm on the fans' faces and muffle (albeit slightly) their cheers. Rain drenches the qualifying matches with a gloom that reflects the somber tone in Europe right now. Despite all of that, the fans persevere.
The Match Must Go On
In solidarity, CBS Sports analyst Guillem Balague happily marches on through match after match with all the enthusiasm of a true fan. He takes us from Barcelona to Madrid where fans grieve the loss of their favorite player Lionel Messe. Then on to France, before going to Donetsk and Kyiv in the Ukraine, interviewing club owner Serhiy Palkin in a tense exchange only the charms of Balague could resolve. And perhaps most importantly, several interviews with Darijo Srna, Director of Football in Donetsk who narrowly escaped from Ukraine with his players and their families just days after the shelling began.
It's clear from the tone of Destination Paris that it started out as something different than what it became. No one could have predicted the changes in the world and how they affected the sport of football. Still, the harried pace, the uncoordinated editing of the matches (It was hard to tell what was going on), and the on-the-fly interviews make the film seem haphazard. Balague does his best to carry us through with his disarming manner and clear love of the game. But it all feels thrown together and rushed.
Final Thoughts: Destination Paris Review
And so the final game is played between Liverpool and Real Madrid but the drama begins outside of the stadium first. About a third of the Liverpool fans are unable to get into the stadium as some of the gates are locked. Police react badly to the confused crowd but luckily, any real harm is averted. And then, after a delay, the match begins. Even watching through the television you can feel the tension and elation. I can only imagine how emotionally overwhelming it was to be there.
In the end, it's the spirit of the game that prevails. Like in all good stories people matter and in this story it's the fans who make it rewarding. It's the fans who stand out in the rain, who endlessly cheer in the freezing cold, who stick with a team through thick and thin and with each other in solidarity. Destination Paris reminds us of the strength of spirit in adversity and the healing salve of a game loved by millions.
