Team: M.Puig; F.Alguacil, G.Manfellotto, D.Spada, M.Pellegry; M.Guarnaccia, T.Golightly, S.Ashimwe, S.Friedrichs; D.Mineo, M.Lopo Subs: A.Gary

A warm and brilliant sun shines on Brussels. Despite being the end of September, it feels like summer. And when the sky is blue, the spirit is high. However, while joining Max Smooth Operator and Stef El Poncho in Cimitière d’Ixelles, I feel less good than one is supposed to do before a football match with the RBBFC2. The reason is crystal clear: I have realised that today I am going to play my last match with the British, at least for a while.

beautiful moments I have lived so far in this Club and with you all, guys. Daniele Missile the Captain gives the line-up (in French…well, not really in line with the RBBFC tradition, but at the end of the day we are in Belgium, come on. We can forgive you, Dani!).

After that, I am given the floor to say arrivederci to the team, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all once again for these two seasons. The kick-off is approaching, so no time anymore for sadness and melancholy. The team leaves the cloakroom and starts the warm-up, focusing the more and more on the match, which, after the good (psychological) test in the previous game, aims to confirm that we are there to fight for the higher positions in the rank.

We are not that many, but the team is solid: just think that Marc is back to protect our goal, and the defence counts on THREE Italians at a time: Davide, Massi and myself. Even CR7 would be scared and prefer to spend his Saturday in Knokke!

Despite of that, the match does not start in the right way. After few minutes, our opponents gain a corner kick. Someone – probably still thinking about and silently crying for my imminent departure – forgets his man, who goes for a header (aesthetically ugly, I must say) that slowly goes beyond the goal line. 1-0 for them.

We blame ourselves for our distraction and in the few following minutes we do not show a good attitude. Nonetheless, RBBFC2 is known for its mentality and will to always fight, until the end. This is why we soon recover and get back to the match, which appears to be balanced and is forecast to be quite tough. Despite the advantage, the opponents are not dangerous, but unfortunately we are not either: if we are solid in the back and fight in the middle, we struggle to keep balls and create goal opportunities in the front. With this bottom line, the first leg ends, I would say precisely in the moment where we need to stop and rearrange ourselves.

The ref blows for the kick-off of the second leg. We took note of what went wrong and gathered some good ideas. However, as we say in Italian, tra il dire e il fare c’è di mezzo il mare: one thing is the theory, another and different is the practical application. Regrettably, at least for the first 20 minutes we provide evidence of this famous saying: we don’t show a good attitude, we seem like we play individually rather than as a team, we just try to push the opponents’ attacks back rather than bravely keep the ball and fight for the goal and the victory. Something is going wrong in our heads and consequently in our feet – and this is why, some days later, Dani and Stef will share their thoughts and guidelines on the attitude to have in the pitch.

We are playing home, though, we cannot let the host win – and so easily. Therefore, we get some courage and try to hurt them. We shyly turn the ball and approach to their box, until we manage to gain a corner kick. It is a good opportunity. The cross is brilliant, the man on me is too relaxed, so I can free myself and hit the ball. The header is good, destined to go to the top left corner of the goal, but the keeper stretches his arm and push the ball up behind the bar. It is a pity, but it was actually the only one real attempt from our side. Nothing more happens and the ref blows the end of the match.

We sadly get back to the cloakroom, with the awareness that we lost and we deserved it, but we also learned that football is obviously feet and technique, but above all attitude: run and fight, no other ways to win matches.

When on the steps of the Kop, I think once again of the reason why I will miss these Saturdays: RBBFC is a great club, the 2nds are a great team, composed of beautiful people, with whom it is worth playing and spending some time. Guys, follow faithfully the Captain(s) and you will get far.

Guido-of-the-night Manfellotto