ERCOLESSI, HONORIO & MERLIM – AGLA’s Golden Boys

The three musketeers from Luparense that won the Futsal EURO title; MARCO ERCOLESSI, HUMBERTO HONORIO and ALEX MERLIM , all ENDORSED by AGLA, have been received and honoured in the council chamber of the City Hall by the Mayor of San Martino di Lupari, Gerry Boratto. They were presented with personalised plaques in recognition of their achievements with the national team. Alongside them was the goalkeeper DAVIDE PUTANO, ENDORSED by AGLA, who was selected by Menichelli for the preparation before the successful expedition in Belgium.

MARCO ERCOLESSI spoke about the EURO victory; "Let me start from the defeat against Slovenia which, paradoxically, has been the foundation for our victory. Criticism rained down on individual players and there was a real fear of being knocked out in the first round so we began to think differently. We looked at each other and we said that we could not go down in history as the first Italian team to leave at the group phase. We regrouped and we were more united. We had to forget that game and show character. Our EURO campaign really started from there. During the four days we had to dwell on the defeat, we removed from our minds all the thoughts of the previous day, and focused on winning the group to avoid meeting Spain before the final. We thought a game at a time and in the end things turned out as we hoped.”

“The best moment was at the end of the match with Russia when we have won the title. However, a decisive moment on our journey to success was the semi-final match against Portugal. We suffered a lot but we were determined not to give anything to our opponents. The negative results from Portugal came with a bad record against us, most recently with the quarter-finals defeat at the European Championship in Croatia. It was the most difficult game because we were coming in as favorites and we had all the pressure on us . With Russia it was different. Nobody expected our victory. We, however , could not lose. Before the game we looked into each other’s’ eyes and said that it could be the only EURO final of our careers and we had to take it home at all costs. "

Here are the words of HUMBERTO HONORIO: "I have experienced indescribable happiness. It is hard to describe what I experienced after the final. There are no words to explain it. I didn’t know what to do. I went up in the stands to embracemy eldest son and I shared the moment with him. After the defeat against Slovenia we spent a dark week with people criticising us. We looked forward to the challenge against Azerbaijan with great anxiety because for us it was a game that meant we left or stayed in the competition. It was not easy to play them. We looked at each other , we talked and it is because of all the determination and desire we had that we qualified from the group. The most intense moments were after each victory. The wins boosted us and gave us momentum.”

ALEX RODRIGO MERLIM DA SILVA had this to say; " The European Championship victory was a beautiful moment. It was a special moment for me. I experienced wonderful feelings, but difficult to explain. We won because we were a united group, with all the players showing great humility. All these things have made the difference. We were aware of the challenges facing us , but also our strengths, our qualities and why we got to where we are. The best moments were the victories against Portugal and Russia, but the one I remember with most pleasure it was to the quarter-final. I played with a fever and just until before the game I was unsure if I could play. I made a sacrifice and was very well rewarded."

In addition to the six Italian players at the European Championships 2014 in Antwerp there has been a Dutch player ENDORSED by AGLA.

It is the defender OUALID SAADOUNI, born March 3rd 1988 and club player of Eindhoven . The Dutch National Team, who featured in Group B, was eliminated in the first round after the defeats suffered at the hands of Russia and Portugal.

The CONDOR model is equipped with the new technological development AGLA GRIP CONTROL, for absolute grip on court. The upper is made of a nubuck and breathable canvas. The sole uses a new concept of an eva foam ANTI-SHOCK insert, a system designed by AGLA to prevent tendinitis and micro trauma that over time can damage ligaments. It has the brand logo with breathable rubber. The model CONDOR is designed for fast and technical players who like to take to the court with light shoes.














Posted by Mico Martic --> mico.martic@futsalplanet.com