128 teams and counting. Minifootball’s popularity in Timisoara is proven not only by numbers, but also by achievements. WMT Giroc, a team headquartered in a bedroom community close to the city, won, last year, the Romanian Minifootball Cup, a big national competition which is held once a year, in the summer. GLISSANDO, the multiple county champions got so close to the semifinals of the national 2011 championship, only to be ousted by the very best team of the tournament, Consiliul Judetean Buzau.
However, the real story is not what Timisoara proved until now. It is what it will prove from now on. One of the most yet untold hopes for even better results on the national stage is a team called The Backers (Pariorii). Currently, The Backers are holding the second place in the Premier Timisoara League, trailing the champions Glissando by 7 points and 7 matches to go. “We are here after a journey which we honestly didn’t expect to turn on such good results”, mentioned the team coach, Mr. Daniel Andrici. “After six consecutive months of never losing a game in the league, we can safely say that our squad is ready to give a shot for the title.”
The Backers came on this edition as outsiders, having promoted last autumn from the second league. Two years ago, they were somewhere in the middle of the second league’s ranking. That was before Andrici took over and changed the mentality of the team. A new coach, new tactics, all done mostly with the same pool of players. The competitions’ general manager, Alin Radosav, is equally impressed by this team which proved a lot, on such short notice. “They are extremely motivated and they have a professional mentality, thanks to the great coach and manager they have right now. Should this team represent Timisoara on a national tournament, I am sure they would make headlines.”
The Backers is only one example of how minifootball can change lives for the better. A young team, looking up and saying that it is possible to be there, up, on the very top. We wish them to make this dream possible.