Francesco back from the heat with unchanged sense of goal
Just ten days ago the highest temperature in European history (48.8C) was recorded in Sicily. This made huge headlines here in the UK but for Sicilians it wasn’t really a big event. They are used to deal with extreme hot weather. The tactic, fine tuned over centuries, is mainly to seek refuge in the shadow and do absolutely nothing, except possibly go for a swim in the Mediterranean.
Francesco, who was vacationing in his homeland, could not afford to relax and decided instead to continue with his training, practicing tackles, diving headers and bicycle kick on the sand for hours against locals. This proved to be invaluable when he set foot on Kensington Gardens today for his first match after summer break, wearing with pride his Euro 2020 Azzurri shirt. Luckily, the thermometer showed a more comfortable 19 degrees.
With 6 players available, the match was setup as a 3-vs-3, with no fixed goalkeepers and goals 2-meters wide. Francesco teamed up with Khaled and Victor (all wearing blue shirts) while the other team was composed by Thomas, Chetan and Diego (Branko’s son).
The match was a fierce and spectacular battle, with both teams taking advantage of the wide spaces available and the pitch in excellent conditions. Khaled was on fire, scoring a number of goals with precise shots from every angle. Chetan proved again to be a formidable stopper, frustrating most (but not all) of Francesco’s efforts on the left side. Thomas played with his usual understated style, constantly fooling the opponents and scoring possibly the best goal of the day. Diego was a constant threat, reminding us of a young Cavani, while Victor moved the ball with unassuming but effective Brazilian elegance.
After the first half, both teams got an extra player as two young Moroccan brothers, Yassin and Kamil joined the party. The kids, amazed by the quality of our football, had stopped their own play to watch us in awe from the sideline. With a swift move, the head of our Academy decided to offer them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join us. The two brothers did not miss it and entered our ranks, adding extra flavour and energy to the match.
With the score at 12-12 or something like that, the blue team brought home the victory thanks to a golden goal scored by Francesco, who took advantage or a rare distraction of Chetan to put the ball in the net. “I gained a few kilos during my stay in Sicily but I am glad to see my sense of goal is still there” he said after the match.
Khaled and Chetan were rewarded with a Man of the Match award, and both of them referenced Euro 2020 in their post-match interviews. “Seeing Chiesa and Insigne score for Italy from impossible angles has increased my self-confidence, and I now feel like I can score in any situation” “ said Khaled. “I was inspired by Chiellini’s antics during the final. There are so many things a defender can do to stop the attackers…”said Chetan.
As of Yassin and Kamil, we might see more of them in the coming weeks, as words of their excellent performance got out on Twitter. Several Premier League academies have already approached their parents with offers while Ziyech and Hakimi are already worried that their place on the Moroccan national team might be in danger…
Photo: Francesco with Yassin and Kamil