Simon Curtis is a long-time admirer of Portuguese football, his interest stirred by watching the 1984 European Championship semi-final between France and Portugal in Marseille, still to this day a match he considers one of the best ever examples of the unremitting drama and passion of international football. He has written extensively on Portuguese club and international football for Champions Magazine, PortuGOAL, Reuters, ESPN and for a variety of UEFA publications. Resident in Lisbon since 2000, he lives within walking distance of both the Estádio da Luz and the Estádio de Alvalade, but sometimes eschews both for the breathtaking view of the River Tagus from the press box at Belenenses.