Europa FC V Lions FC Gibtelecom Rock Cup Saturday 7th March 2020 KO 18.15
Interview with Ibrahim Ayew
Europa FC Proud to be involved in this project
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WELCOME From The President
MANAGER Rafa Escobar
ASSISTANT MANAGER
Hi Fans, Another important game the quarter finals of the Rock Cup. A trophy which we have had in our Clubhouse for the past 3 years and obviously we will make it as hard as posible for opponents to take it from us. Today we play Lions FC who in the last few months have improved tremendously and will be a tough opposition to beat. I have to thank all our teams in all the sports that are participating in all leagues to continue in their quest. I believe i have to give a big mention to our youth netball & basketball teams which are competing for league titles. Also obviously The Europa FC Futsal team who are currently 2nd in the 1st divisiรณn Futsal League a few points behind current league holders Lynx. This team has developed in the last two years and are this year fighting for the Crown. Good luck to them and to all our teams in the last three months of competition. Special thanks to all our sponsors, mainly our main sponsor Situs. Thanks God Bless Peter Cabezutto President Europa FC
Antonio Garcia
GOALKEEPER COACH Roberto Cabezuelo
FITNESS COACH Pedro Perez
PHYSIO Aaron Perales
KITMAN Alberto Torremocha
TEAM DELEGATE Darren Celecia
CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER Christian Correa
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RAFA ESCOBAR The Boss
Good Afternoon Everyone, The team is very excited to be playing The Rock Cup which is our next game. A different competition which is a very attractive game for us, we are the holder´s of the competition and we will try to win this title again this season as we did last season. The team is in high spirits and we have to change the chip from the League competition to the Cup competition. Lions will be a tough opponent and it will be a completely different game to the game we played last week for the league. They reserved some 1st team important players in their squad for that game and they will surely play this Cup game to give all in this Cup Game. We know them well and we have prepared this game all this week to achieve our objective and go through to the next round. All players are to eager to play, the atmosphere within the changing room is great and we will go into the game against Lions to give everything we have to get the result we all want.
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This is what a parent witnessed in a youth game and between all we have to expell from football.
DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL Eddie Yome QPM CPM
CLUB LAWYER Alvaro Perez
MEDIA DIRECTOR
Lawrence Stagnetto
SECURITY DIRECTOR Daniel Linares
ACADEMY DIRECTOR Johnny Moreno
EVENTS DIRECTOR Daniel Guerrero
Europa FC 39a Europa Road Gibraltar GX11 1AA E-Mail: europafc.academy@gmail.com
DISGRACEFUL I was appalled at what I witnessed at a youth football game. I will not mention any team names as this action was from a coach & I don´t want to slander the entire Club for his behaviour although this could reflect on them. The game came to an end and I witnessed the Manager demand all his players to walk with him to the side off the pitch. All to familiar for the Coach say a Word to his players after a game. However he then proceeded to rip into these Little boys, he specifically pointed to the goalkeeper and said,”You lost this game for us, you let in 2 goals & because of you we lost”. The por kid was in tears. He didn´t stop there he continued by saying” Don´t put your head down & cry in shame, it was your fault. He continued saying “I don´t care about this game that we have lost, these games mean nothing, but when we go to the tournament next month that means everything. We have a tournament next month & if you play like shit like you did today we will lose. The Academy
www.europafc.gi
SEE PAGE 23 FOR OUR OPINION! 5
Today’s Opponents Lions FC
Lions Gibraltar was founded as Lions Football Club in 1966 when a group of friends decided to take up a team after the euphoria of England winning the 1966 World Cup, thus the three lions on its club badge. After a quiet 45-year history, the club merged with league giants Gibraltar United in 2011 to create a much stronger side. After 3 years, however, Gibraltar United broke away to form their own side once again in 2014. Their time together saw the side consistently compete in the Gibraltar Premier Division, and the side continued this upon the GFA's admittance to UEFA in 2013. The 2013-14 season, their final season united with Gibraltar United, saw them narrowly avoid a relegation playoff with a 6th-place finish. After this, Gibraltar United joined the Gibraltar Second Division and Lions restructured, with English coach Jeff Wood appointed manager with ambitions to challenge the top sides and qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Their Manager is now Albert Ferri, who is working with their youth and many of them breaking into the first team. Last weekend they played Europa FC in the league and Lions fielded 8 Home Grown players in their starting line up.
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Last Game Lost 7-0 Against Europa FC Line Up
Reserves
Hernandez
Perez
Hastings
Bossano
Parkinson
Ramagge
Tovar
Gomez
Bosio
Thorne
Rumbo
Grech
Pomares
Fortunato
Manager: Albert Ferri
Lopez ParraĂą
Buhagiar
HOME
AWAY
Mkerreff
Europa FC Supporting The Nautilus Project
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Proud Sponsors Of EUROPA FC 8
Europa FC is one of the 4 teams who are still unbeaten in Europe this season, the others are Olympiakos from Greece, Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel & Ludogrets from Bulgaria. Liverpool & Shaktar Donetsk both lost their games this past weekend.
This is been followed by press around Europe, below is an example.
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Gibtelecom Rock Cup The Rock Cup is Gibraltar's premier cup football competition, and has been organised annually by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) since 1895. Due to a sponsorship with Gibtelecom, the cup is currently known as the Gibtelecom Rock Cup.
The Rock Cup is entered by all teams of Gibraltar's Premier League and Second League as well as the Under 15 national team, until 2015 when the Under 15s were not entered. It is played in a knock-out format with single legged ties. Second division sides enter in Round One with three randomly drawn teams receiving byes into the second round, where Premier Division sides will enter. In 2014 UEFA president Michel Platini presented the trophy to the winners.
GIBTELECOM QUARTER FINALS Mons Calpe V Europa Point Friday 6th March KO 20.30 St. Joseph V Magpies Saturday 7th March KO 16.00 Europa FC V Lions Saturday 7th March KO 18.15 Lincoln V Boca Juniors Sunday 8th March KO 1600
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Europa Basketball team, Photo above, GABBA Girls at the Garrison Gym below.
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EUROPA FC SE
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EASON 2019/20
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FOOTBALL GIBRALTAR Liam Walker FG Player of the Week
Europa FC captain is awarded the Player of the Week as the attacking midfielder scored a second half hat trick in Europa´s 7-0 win V Lions FC.
After finishing 2nd in last week´s award, Walker ensured he took top spot this week scoring a hat trick, and setting up two more goals as Europa found their form in the second half against a youthful Lions side. Walker broke the 20 goal mark this season in getting his hat trick, and is looking to catch up with St. Joseph striker Juanfri in the top scorer charts, which would make him the first Gibraltarian since Lee Casciaro in 2015 to top the League´s scoring charts.
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St. Bernard’s Hospital Children’s Ward
Europa FC League Games Left Saturday 14th March
St. Joseph V Europa FC KO 16.00
Saturday 4th April
Europa FC V Lincoln KO 18.15
Saturday 18th April
Lynx V Europa FC KO 16.00
Sunday 3rd May
Europa FC V Magpies KO 16.00
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20 Quickfire Questions With Rahim Ayew 1.
Full Name: Ibrahim Ayew
2.
Position: Right Back
3.
Do you have a nickname the other lads call you? Some people call me “Why Not” and others call me “Humble Lion”.
4.
Who is the best player you have ever played with? Michael Essien, Steven Appiah, My Brothers Andre & Jordan, Asamoah Gyan.
5.
Who is the best player you have ever played against? Probably I would say Didier Drogba and Kevin De Bruyne.
6.
Which Club Team have you always supported? Arsenal FC & Asante Kotoko from Ghana.
7.
Which has been your favourite Stadium you have played in? The ones at the World Cup 2010 and the African Cup, I forget their names.
8.
Who is your favourite player from your own National side? My brothers Andre & Jordan Ayew.
9.
What is your best Football memory? At the World Cup 2010, that was a dream come true.
10.
What is your favourite food? Jollof rice & Fufu.
11.
What other sports do you like to play or watch? Athletics.
12.
Do you have any habits or superstitions before a match? I focus hard before a match that´s all.
13.
If you were not a footballer what would you have liked to do? A Musician.
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What is the victory you are proudest of? Winning League titles.
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What type of music are you most into? Afrobeat. 16
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What has been your best moment with Europa FC? Winning the league when i first arrived, becuase Europa had not won it for so many years.
17.
Who is the toughest player you have ever faced? Again Didier Drogba.
18.
Who is your childhood football hero? My Dad, Abedi Pele.
19.
Who is the biggest joker in the dressing room? Asamoah Gyan in Ghana & Tjay De Barr in Gibraltar.
20.
Give a piece of advice to a Young player just starting in the game. He should be focused and work hard, it´s all about hard work, there is no secret or short cut to success.
21.
BONUS QUESTION, Who or what inspires you to achieve? A lot, I can´t explain that easily, when I see something that I want, I always go for it.
IBRAHIM AYEW 20 Quickfire Questions. Thank You Very Much Ibrahims brother´s both play football in the UK, his brother Jordan plays as a forward at Crystal Palace and Andre plays as a forward at Swansea City. Andre has played 86 times for Ghana, Jordan 58 times & Ibrahim 7 times.
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PRE LEAGUE
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GARRISON GYM FACILITY Are you looking for a place to have a football party? Are you planning an event? For more information contact us at: Europafc.academy@gmail.com
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GIBRALTAR FA NEWS The Gibraltar Football Association is pleased to announce that Gibraltar will be playing two friendlies in Malta this March as part of an International friendly tournament being hosted by the Malta Football Association. Gibraltar will play hosts Malta at the Ta’Qali National Stadium on the 26th March (kick-off at 16:00hrs) and will then play Liechtenstein, also at the Ta’Qali National Stadium, on the 29th March (kick-off time TBC). Gibraltar will be playing a further two international friendlies in late May/early June, and the Gibraltar FA will announce the opponents and venues once these have been confirmed.
Gibraltar's National Team have been drawn in League D Group 2 of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League. Gibraltar, who were top seeds in League D are in a group of 3 teams alongide San Marino and Liechtenstein. Gibraltar's fixtures for the 2020 edition of the tournament have been confimred: 5th September 2020: Gibraltar v San Marino 15:00 cet 8th October 2020: Liechtenstein v Gibraltar 20:45 cet 13th November 2020: San Marino v Gibraltar 20:45 cet
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The Gibraltar FA's General Secretary, Ivan Robba, has today been ratified as a UEFA Disciplinary & Ethics Inspector, for a further 4 years, at UEFA's Annual Congress in Amsterdam. Ivan Robba has been a UEFA Disciplinary & Ethics Inspector since 2017 and has been actively involved in investigating disciplinary cases all over Europe since then. Reacting from the UEFA Congress in Amsterdam, Ivan Robba is honoured at being entrusted with a new four year term: “I am delighted to once again be ratified as a UEFA Ethics & Disciplinary Inspector for a further 4 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed this role so far, as it has given me the opportunity to be involved in many interesting and high profile UEFA cases. I would like to thank UEFA for continuing to trust me in helping them in this area, and I look forward to the challenges ahead, especially with the EURO 2020 finals round the corner.�
Ghanaian school children received a fresh delivery of Gibraltar Football.The kits have been donated by the Gibraltar Football Association to local charity Helpmelearn Africa run by Gibraltarian Louise Barea.
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Do you want to follow these 3 companies and have måximum exposure? Contact us for details you won´t regret it! Email: europafc.academy@gmail.com
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The only team that needs to win trophies in the Club is the 1st team. The Youth teams don´t need to win, they just need to make their players better. Before the age of 14 it´s just play learning new skills and everything developing good habits, like controlling the ball, passing, positions, plus also the mental side, awareness etc. So in the end you have not just a complete football player, but a person who is good for others, who means something in the world. Remember 98% of the 16-18 year olds who sign for an Academy are either released or dropped by the age of 21. 96% of those players who reach 18/21 and have signed a profesional contract are either released or drop out by the age of 25.
Junior Football is about having fun playing the game & teaching the player life lessons, they can take with them in life. Players will not learn from winning trophies, but learn lessons they will make use of them in life, Respect, Help one another, learn to win & loose. Continued From Page 5
AMBASSADOR FOR EUROPA FC MARCEL DESAILLY Left Desailly In Gibraltar.
Right when he played for Chelsea. 23
Europa FC 1st Team Squad Season 2019-2020 1 Javi Munoz
Spain
11 Michael Yome
Gibraltar
2 Ethan Jolley
Gibraltar
12 Jayce Olivero
Gibraltar
3 Jack Sergeant
Gibraltar
14 Sergio Jimenez
Spain
4 Olmo Gonzalez
Spain
15 Juan Luis Becerra
Spain
5 Ibrahim Ayew
Ghana
16 Alex Carrascal
Spain
6 Diego Portilla
Spain
17 Marco Rosa
Spain
7 Juan Dominguez
Spain
18 Fernando Velasco
Spain
8 Alejandro Rodriguez Spain
19 Manu Dimas
Spain
9 Adrian Gallardo
Spain
20 Juan Labrador
Spain
10 Liam Walker
Gibraltar
22 Dayle Coleing
Gibraltar
Europa FC Titles
7 Leagues
8 Cups
3 Super Cups
ALWAYS BELIEVE 24