Italian Meets Italian

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32343, 8 July 1970, Page 15

Italian Meets Italian

Italian-born players—the only two playing top-class soccer in New Zealand—will be in opposing teams when Christchurch United and Hungaria meet in a vital Rothmans National League match at English Park on Saturday.

On the United left-wing will be F. Madrussan, born in Trieste but who has lived in New Zealand since he was nine; in the Hungaria attack will be J. Scaramuzza, who is having his first season in New Zealand. Although only 25, Scaramuzza has seen a good bit of the world. He moved to Wellington from Tasmania, and previously had played his early soccer in Italy, Zambia and Rhodesia.

Last year, he was outstanding in Tasmanian football, winning the state's “Player of the Year” award and helping to lead his club. Southern Juventus, to the Tasmanian League championship. Starting off as a linkman in the Hungarian team, the dark-haired, sft Ilin Scaramuzza was moved into the attack for the match against Stop Out and celebrated by netting two of the goals—his first for the club—in Hungaria’s 4-0 victory.

A great believer in brains before brawn, he thoroughly enjoys the brand of football Hungaria plays. “It may be a bit slow,” he says, "but it is football, not just kick and rush.” Although ethnic clubs like Hakoah and Croatia in Australia, and to a lesser extent Hungaria in New Zealand, have their problems, Scaramuzza feels they definitely have a place in soccer. “There, is nothing wrong

with them as long as the players are integrated,” he says. “In the Juventus team only four of us were Italians. “Most of the trouble in Australian soccer is caused by spectators, not by the players.” From what he has seen of soccer in New Zealand, Scararnuzza believes national league soccer will spread rapidly, and he says he is happy to stay here and help make it grow.