FROM ITALY TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

Solomon Islands has seen few international players from Europe, Asia and Africa played in its top league. For these international footballers, it has been a very humbling and awesome experience to be in the beautiful Solomon Islands. One of the international players who has also played in Solomon Islands, is the Italian goal keeper Fabrizio maria pratticò. Frabizo as he is known by his fellow Western united team mates, is a very passionate footballer and as a goal keeper it was obvious his passion was even noticed by the Solomon Islands football fans when watching him in goals for Western united. Fabrizio maria pratticò who hails from Italy have featured in some of the top club teams in Europe with the likes of Italian clubs as Siena, Reggina and Sorrento. He then also featured for Syrianska football club in Sweden and recently before moving back to join Western United, he also was a member of Bi/Bolùngarvik football club in Iceland.

                                  

The softly spoken Italian was so full of passion for the game and it was an opportunity to listen to the man himself sharing his own experience and his personal take to football. In this interview, I was very fortunate to talk with Fabrizio maria pratticò whom after the interview even myself find to be one of the humblest individual.

What got you into football?

I believe it is probably my father. He was a goalkeeper too, and his dream was to become a professional goal keeper but he had some health problem and he had to quit. He however, sent me the same passion for the sport and for this role, the keeper, that I started to love when Juventus FC and his keeper, Gianluigi Buffon, came to play against the team of my city, Reggina Calcio. I was the ball boy at the Stadium. I was a kid, and I received his shirt after the game. Since that day I've fallen in love with soccer, the role of keeper, Juventus and Buffon.

What are some of the values that you have gained from playing football?

Probably the humility value. When I was only nineteen I had already made my debut in the second division in Italy, that's a good level, and I thought that the hardest part was over, but it was just the beginning. I had to start all over, and with the sacrifices I've gotten some good satisfaction. So this is probably the lesson that soccer gave me. You can have all the talent of the world, but without sacrifices, humility, and great desire to improve your level, you won't go far, as in soccer and as well as in life.

If you could list 3 football achievements in your life. What are they?

Ok, my first game as a professional footballer deserves a mention, but I was only nineteen and I didn't really realize what was happening to me, my life and my family.

My second best achievement was my first game in Sweden, we were playing against a good team of first division, Atvidabergs, and we drew 1-1 then at the end of the game I was awarded as Man of the match.
The third best achievement in my career will be with Western United. this season, I'm sure of that.

I know you have played football in Europe, how do you find football in the pacific especially Solomon Islands?

I can tell you that the level has already improved a lot in this year and a half that I've missed Solomon Islands. My team mates and also the other teams started to play a faster and more technical soccer. With some improvement from the tactical and discipline point of view, Solomon Islands can sit at the same level of New Zealand in a few years, but all we need is long range planning.

However, I am also convinced that the improvement of national football is related to an improvement of the plants, soccer facilities, which I found, unfortunately, quite poor to Honiara. But I hope that the Federation will work on it.  This country deserves it, because there is a lot of passion around soccer.

Everyone knows you play goal keeper, can you simply explain how important the goal keeper position in a football team?

I can say that probably nobody will believe me, but I'm quite sure that it's the hardest position to play. Keepers are the last defensive wall, after us there is the goal. We have to stay focus all the game, also when we do not touch the ball for a whole game. In the extra time, the danger is always behind the corner.

Keepers have to talk a lot to the defenders, because we can see the whole field. Goal keepers have to play with both hands and feet, keepers have to give to the team mates a feeling of safety. And, finally, keepers have to take the blame when the opposite teams score, even sometimes when we don't deserve it.

What are your encouragement for young Solomon Islands footballers who dream of becoming top goal keepers?

I always say never stop dreaming, but never continue daydreaming. I always recommend youth goal keepers to keep several open doors for the future, because you never know what kind of future your life has instore for you.

If they like soccer and play as keepers, I would advise them to never quit to study while they follow their dreams. They need passion, discipline because to be a professional goal keeper or any position it's not only about talent and ability, they will have to follow a straight line also out of the field, about food and drink, rest habits, especially with this weather. And, finally, never forget to enjoy, because at the end it's just a sport.

What are your future goals in regards to your football career?

I'm still 26 so I would like to play until my legs, my head and my heart can’t operate anymore. I want to repay the trust that Western United and Mr. Reginald Douglas, Mr. Dandan Falimae, Mr. Menapi Commins and Mr. Fa’a Moana gave to me to do something very important here. I love this country, and I've fallen in love with this team and my team mates. I dreamed of winning the TSL with this orange shirt. Then I don't know what I will do after that in my life, but I really hope to stay in the Solomon Islands for many years.

If you were not playing football, what would you do instead?

Football is my life but if I wasn’t playing it, I would have loved to teach Italian literature at school, or become a sport or music journalist because these are my passions too.

You do have a girlfriend and she hasn’t been to Solomon Islands with you. How does she cope with you being in the Solomon Islands?

I do have a girlfriend since almost a couple of years now, but unfortunately she's never been here, but she will soon. She's curious to understand why I love this place that much to convince me to leave, for a lot of months, my country, my family and the people who I love, every time that they call me to come.

What is your advice for the youths of Solomon Islands to be successful in life generally?

Like I said, they never have to stop following their dreams, but they have to be realistic. They have to love their fathers and mothers, because one day they will have to be great parents. And, maybe I'm monotonous but for me it's really important, they have to go to school, because school open their minds. Culture also open their minds, and an open minded individual will be more successful in life at every stage.

Picture by Daniel Brace