Madrussan Back—Just In Time

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31362, 6 May 1967, Page 15

Madrussan Back —Just In Time

The Canterbury soccer representative, F. Madrussan, has returned to Christchurch, after spending a year in Italy. And bad he delayed his return a fortnight longer, the City leftwinger might never have returned to New Zealand. “I had to enter the Italian Army on March 18 to do my 18 months’ national service,” he said. “But I have lived in New Zealand since I was four years old and I wanted to be a Kiwi again. “I always intended to return to New Zealand and when 1 knew 1 would have to go into the Army if I stayed any longer in Italy, 1 immediately made arrangements to fly back to Christchurch.” The Italian-born Madrussan set a record in Canterbury soccer, in 1963, that will prob-

ably never be beaten. In the one season he represented the province at under-16, under-18, under-20 and senior, being only a 15-year-old Xavier College pupil when he went on the northern tour that year to represent the Canterbury senior side in Auckland and Wellington. A ruling of the Italian Football Association to protect home-bred players reacted strongly against Madrussan while in Italy. The ruling forbids clubs to sign before 1970 —the next World Cup com-petition—foreign-bora players and Italian-born footballers who have played for overseas teams. “I had a very good offer from the Italian League second division club, Savona, until the directors realised that I had played all my football in New Zealand,” Madrussan said. “Then they tried a sneaky way to get around the rule. The president was also connected with a fourth division i club at Latina, near Rome. He %

told me to join Latina, to stay there for two months and then he would have me transferred to Savona. Just when everything was being arranged for me to join Latina, the Savona club directors decided it would be too risky.” Previously, Madrussan was with the first division side, Verona, but there again the Italian F.A.'s ruling prevented him signing for the club. However, both with Verona and Savona, he was allowed to train and live with the first teams, and was treated as a member of the clubs, but being allowed to play only in Wednesday competitions. Although he usually played with a number 11 on his jersey, tactics dictated that he might be withdrawn deep into defence in a tough match or as a roving inside-forward 1 in another game. “Everything is planned by the coaches. The players are told what to do and have to go out on the field to do it. I could never understand before going to Italy why so

many coaches so often got the sack. Now I understand,” said Madrussan. He found that coaches concentrated primarily on physical fitness, bringing exercises into lapping, and less on ball work than he had expected.

"I’m thinner now than when I left New Zealand,” Madrussan added.

The pay for professionals he found varied greatly, with only two or three players in a club getting the very top wages. “But these sums can be enormous," said Madrussan. “The ordinary player probably gets about £l2O a month, not including match bonuses." Madrussan has re-signed for City—the club he joined from Technical three years ago—and hopes to play his first game in the reserves next Saturday. “I had my last game three weeks ago and I must get match fit first,” he said. “After that, it’s all left to Gwyn (G. Evans, the City coach).”