PARIS -- The Portuguese party had just begun when a message briefly flickered on the Stade de France big screen: Merci pour tout, Michel.It wasnt clear what the absent Michel Platini was being thanked for at the end of the European Championship on Sunday.A public show of support before UEFAs banned president loses his title in September? An endorsement of the former France captains vision to expand the tournament by eight teams?Whatever the sentiment of the message, supporters booed. Loudly.Few fans viewing the 51 games over the last month objectively will have been engrossed by the action.The first 24-team continental showpiece required perseverance from fans to stick through many dreary games. Compensating for the tedium, though, was the enriching march of the minnows, something Platini could never have anticipated by adding eight teams.Newcomers like Wales and Iceland didnt just make up the numbers. They had so-called heavyweights who went home early -- from England to Spain -- watching in awe at their progress.Wales, whose only previous appearance on the international stage was the 1958 World Cup, made it all the way to the last four -- the first British semifinalist in 20 years.Englands campaign ended in huge embarrassment in the round of 16, providing newcomer Iceland with its greatest footballing moment. Iceland was the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament and its windfall from UEFA should help to keep the production line of talent rolling.It took a potent display from host France to end Icelands glorious run, breaking through the resilient defensive unit to win their quarterfinal 5-2. But France couldnt barge through another well-drilled side when it faced Portugal in Sundays final.Even after the most theatrical and agonizing moments of the tournament -- the 15-minute spell in the first half when Cristiano Ronaldo twice left the pitch to receive treatment before tearfully being forced out of the game.Portugal persisted without the three-time world player of the year to win its first major title. Portugals 1-0 victory in extra time reflected one of the early conclusions of UEFAs technical observers: possession is no longer king. Retaining the ball with masterful passing, as Spain showcased during their title triumphs in 2008 and 2012, can prove inadequate when thwarted by dogged opponents.It meant teams could be less ambitious, sit back and hope to pounce on the break, especially when 16 teams knew they would advance from the group stage.How will Euro 2016 be remembered? Not for tactical innovation, nor for a breakthrough star. Antoine Griezmann was already the star of Atletico Madrid before being named the player of the tournament with six goals.Long after the dour group-stage is forgotten, the legacy will be the fans -- the aggressive and the boisterous behavior.Russia left the tournament with a solitary point in the group stage but was at risk of being sent home in disgrace as punishment for its fans violence. England was also threatened with expulsion after hooligan elements in its fan base clashed with Russians around the opening game in Marseille.Tear gas was deployed in southern France, a foretaste of police tactics to disperse some crowds right the way through to the final when there was an attempt by some supporters to force their way into the Paris fan zone.The great relief for authorities was the lack of any major security incident, given the tournament being played under the state of emergency that was introduced after extremist attacks in Paris last year.And fans from many countries did add to the enjoyment of what should be a sporting festival.The Icelandic thunderclap was quickly adopted by the French and will surely spread across the continental game.The most sung about player at Euro 2016 didnt play a single minute. Will Grigg, a backup Northern Ireland forward, was always on fire, petrifying defenses to fans who revived and appropriated GALAs 1990s dance hit Freed From Desire.While England fans adopted it to insert striker Jamie Vardys name, continental fans were happy just to sing about Grigg in broken English -- a bemusing experience.And tales of the minnows and underdogs provided UEFA with cover when the focus switched to tedious tactics as the average goals per game dropped from 2.45 in 2012 to 2.12. Sundays match was the first continental final going scoreless after 90 minutes and the newly-crowned Portuguese champions only won one game out of seven inside 90 minutes in France.Still, the governing body saw its coffers swell through an expected tournament record profit of 830 million euros ($917 million) in the last single host competition for some time.Next time around, it will be staged in 13 cities across Europe -- culminating in Wembley Stadium in London hosting the semifinals and the final.Thats another Platini innovation that fans could be booing in four years -- unless the quality of the football improves perhaps.---Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Yeezy Wholesale Authentic . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. 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SK Telecom T1 announced its re-signing of Lee Faker Sang-hyeok to an unprecedented offer. KT Rolster re-signed its captain and star jungler Go Score Dong-bin. SKT T1 answered with the signing of the worlds most explosive jungler in former ROX Tiger Han Peanut Wang-ho. SKT likes Tigers? So does KT, as it signed the Tigers ace and South Koreas reigning back-to-back MVP top laner Song Smeb Kyung-ho.The most storied pair in Korean esports history arent holding back this offseason, and the so-called Telecom War is shaping up to be at its best since the early days back in StarCraft: Brood Wars boom in the mid-2000s where money ruled.So, with each team having a majority of their starting five signed and the other positions heavily speculated, which telecommunication giant appears to be in the lead heading into the 2017 campaign?Top Lane: Huni (SKT) vs. Smeb (KT)Smeb will match up against a fellow offseason mover as Heo Huni Seung-hoon left Immortals to join SKT to replace Lee Duke Ho-seong.Currently, as of now in the middle of the wintery offseason, this matchup is a no-brainer. Smeb is an all-around talent and has been one of the best players in the world throughout 2016. Hes an established shot caller, strong laner, and flexible in his champion pool. Hes an elite ace in a league where you need one to go far.Huni is a diamond in the rough. Mechanically, he might even surpass Smeb; however, raw skill only gets you so far in this day and age, and Huni has a long way to go if he wants to match the double South Korean MVP. Huni is anything but flexible in his champion pool, and when it comes to keeping his cool under pressure, he has a habit of collapsing when things dont go his way.On the bright side, Huni is a natural genius when it comes to life. He was a Bronze player when he started out, and after applying himself, he became a top player on the ladder. He knew no English when he joined Fnatic as a rookie in 2015, and now he can conduct long interviews in the language without any formal training. Hes the type of person who can absorb knowledge quickly if pointed in the right direction, and there is no better place from him to learn than at SK Telecom T1, the three-time world champion. If SKT T1 cant bring out Hunis full potential, which might even surpass Smebs peak, then there is no team in the world that can change Hunis bad habits.Verdict: For now, strongly in the favor of KT Rolster.Jungle: Peanut (SKT) vs. Score (KT)This is another battle between a mechanical madman and an a experienced leader, except this time, Peanut has already progressed and covered up his bad habits he exhibited in his early days as a professional. Peanut, like Huni, was once a one-dimensional player who got by with his fantastic technical abilities, and it took Smeb, now his rival, and the rest of the Tigers to help him become what he is today: one of the best junglers in the world, if not the best.The player that challenges him directly for the title of best jungler in the world is Score. No one currently in the LCK has the knowledge that Score has, as the longtime veteran has been in the league since its inception, first playing as an AD carry before transitioning to a jungler two years ago. His play from last year was stellar, and he almost willed KT Rolster into the World Championships as the rest of his team failed around him.The revived Telecom War wont only tell us who probably the best team in South Korea, but who the best jungler in the world is as well.Verdict: Draw. Both players have an argument to be called the best jungler in the world, and the title will go to whichever of the two assimilates with his new starting five first.Mid: Faker (SKT) vs. PawN (KT)Of course KT would go out and sign the mid laner who has eliminated Faker from more than half the tournaments he has lost in his career. PawN is the Faker Stopper, or at least he was back in his Samsung and EDward Gaming days, even defeating his rival in the final of the Mid-Season Invitational back in 2015. Since then, however, the two have had diverging career paths, as Faker has gone on to win the subsequent MSI and both World Championships in that timeframe. PawN, sadly, has dealt with health issues and was in and out of the EDG lineup for the entirety of the 2016 campaign.Although it appears PawN is at 100 percent and ready to be the full-time starter for KT, itd be rash to predict him ready to stand up to Faker right away.dddddddddddd Luckily for PawN, the setup for KT makes him the third option of attack behind Smeb and AD carry Kim Deft Hyuk-kyu, putting him the comfortable position of being the utility carry instead of needing to be the ace or secondary output of damage. PawN is at his absolute best when he doesnt have the ball in his hand and can defer to stronger teammates, like how he excelled on Samsung White in a similar superteam setting.Verdict: Strongly in favor of SKT. There are lots of questions surrounding PawN. If he can prove hes healthy and play near his old form, itll still be in the favor of Faker individually, but could change the tide of the head-to-head SKT vs. KT matchups.AD: Bang (AD) vs. Deft (KT)Like the matchup in jungle, this is another edition of the Telecom War giving us a battle between two of the best at their position in the world. Bang was undoubtedly the king of marksmen at Worlds, and Deft, who held the title in the eyes of many heading into the event, will need to take it away from the two-time world champion in his return to South Korea after playing in China for two years with PawN on EDward Gaming.All the pressure will be on Deft. For Bang, nothing changes for him, at least in the bottom lane -- its the same team he has been on for the past few years and his support, Wolf, is his Summoners Rift soulmate, as the two have been partners for almost their entire professional careers. The only change for Bang will come in the upper half of the map. Huni and Peanut are not utility players, and the gold situation might look more like 2015 when SKT was even a better team with Jang MaRin Gyeong-Hwan playing a bigger role in the top lane position. Bang was often used as cleanup in those days, and it wasnt until 2016 where he had his true breakout performances as an ace alongside Faker.For Deft, while his environment is different, hell now have more help in the top lane with the best player at that position in the world with Smeb. Deft will still be looked upon to carry the team in pivotal moments, but itll be much more like his days on Samsung Blue, where Bae Dade Eo-jin and himself created an unmatched teamfighting carry duo. Hell hope that he and Smeb can find the same amount of chemistry on the newly superpowered KT.Verdict: SKT favored but not by much. Bang vs. Deft will be one of biggest storylines of the 2017 LCK season.Support: Wolf (SKT) vs. Mata (KT)Mata is the biggest what-if of this whole equation. He makes the most sense, partnering up with his former Samsung housemate Deft to complete the KT Rolster superteam, but nothing concrete has said hell be joining. So while everything points to KT Mata, take this evaluation more as speculation than concrete details. Who knows, maybe Lee Piccaboo Jong-beom will return to KT if Rolster cant finalize a deal with Mata.If Mata does sign, it would be the biggest boon for the new KT Rolster, giving them a proven winner than has a knack to bring the full talent out of starting fives. If there was anyone youd want to anchor a superteam of five individuals, its Mata. He won a league title in his rookie season with MVP Ozone. The year after he became Worlds MVP and won the Summoners Cup with Samsung White. Over the past two years, hes been attempting to create the same magic in China, and he propped up a Royal Never Give Up club that won a domestic title and had a chance of winning the 2016 MSI competition. In the face of more money to stay in China, Mata declined, setting his sights back on South Korea and a chance to cement his legacy as the greatest support in Leagues history.Wolf, often forgotten in the grand scheme of things, actually has one more world title than Mata. And while Im not going to say Wolf is a better individual player than Mata, nor that hes a player who brings all the intangibles and leadership qualities you could ever want from a player, but its not like Wolf is a sieve. Hes above average for the most part, and coming from a 2015 campaign where his lows were almost disastrous for SKT, his play this past year was stellar.Verdict: Its KT favored if Mata signs. Hes the final piece that can take the four talented individuals in front of him to even greater heights as a full-fledged unit.Keep tabs on the League of Legends offseason roster shuffle with updated, insider information on our landing page. ' ' '