Courtesy: Football Australia


Futsalroos get hero’s welcome at school visit

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

The Futsalroos got a taste of the superstar treatment when they visited the Colegio Tecnico Vicente Azuero in Bucaramanga on a warm and humid Tuesday morning in Colombia.

Players and staff were given a hero’s welcome at the school, greeted by a group of around 1500 screaming children and afforded a guard of honour as they arrived. The team were then surrounded by eager supporters signing autographs and posing for selfies as they made the walk to the school’s synthetic field.

Once there, the pomp and ceremony more accustomed to a full Futsal international was waiting as the Australian national anthem was played followed by a hearty rendition of the Colombian national anthem was sung by the students.

A casual kick-around with members of the school’s team was well received with the conclusion of the small-sided game followed by the obligatory autographs and more photos as the team went to the official function at which Toby Seeto presented the school with a signed jersey.

“It was an absolutely incredible experience,” Futsalroos skipper Greg Giovenali commented. “The welcome we received was sensational and we were made to feel like rock stars, signing hundreds of autographs and posing for numerous photographs. “It’s fantastic that we were able to come to the school and interact with the local schoolkids as it is a massive boost to morale and confidence and allows us to create a bond with the local community. Hopefully the visit today has inspired some of the children to support us in the FIFA Futsal World Cup.” Giovenali and his teammates were brought back to reality in the afternoon with another vigorous training session ahead of the FIFA Futsal World Cup opener against Mozambique on 11th September. “Whilst it was nice to experience all of the attention, and it definitely created a great buzz amongst the group, we switched our focus back to our preparations immediately after the visit and we are looking in good shape ahead of the opening match,” Giovenali confirmed. “We are well aware of the importance of getting off to a good start. Tournament football is all about momentum and we need to continue to build ours ahead of the Mozambique game.” The Futsalroos commence their FIFA Futsal World Cup campaign on Sunday 11th September (local time) against Mozambique. The match will be screened live on SBS on Monday 12th September with coverage commencing at 6.50am.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com