The RSFT Villeurbanne team distinguished itself last weekend at the first edition of the French Football Club Cup. Table football. To give you a taste of the event as if you were there, we collected a testimony from Maxime Blin, a player on the team.
This weekend, the first edition of the French Club Cup took place in Paris 15th. The RSFT, after a fine 5th place in the European Champions League, was looking to confirm a good start to the season. Our team enters the tournament as favorites, along with clubs from Evry (the reigning European Champion) and Montreuil-sur-Mer.
Presentation of the French Club Cup
One of the Bonzini table football requisitioned for the event...
The French Cup France des Clubs (CFC) is a competition for teams of 8 players (4 doubles – D1, D2, D3, D4). When two teams meet, Doubles 1 plays against the opposing Doubles 1, Doubles 2 against Doubles 2, etc.
We therefore had 8 matches to play in qualifying. The draw was rather favorable to us because our qualifiers do not include any major teams.
A very positive result, as the team finished 1st in the qualifiers ahead of the two Evry teams. Montreuil, the other favorite, finished 6th. On a more personal level, my partner and captain, Nicolas Constantin, and I played "perfect," meaning we didn't lose a single set during these qualifiers. Enough to give us confidence for Sunday, when more difficult matches await us.
Finishing 1st in the qualifiers, we were exempt from the first round of qualifying.
In the second round, we played Evry's third-place team, who had just beaten a Toulouse team made up of players I'm used to working with and training in Toulouse. A rather straightforward match for our team, which thus advanced to the round of 16 against the Aunay club. Our team overcame this obstacle 3-1 despite the first defeat in my doubles with Nico. It's frustrating because I played really badly.
Lyonnais versus Parisiens...
Now it's time for the quarter-finals with the first tough opponent of the weekend: Paris! Made up of experienced players, this team has all the makings of a trap: technical players, with desire, and they're at home! Led by Franck Mahy, president of the Paris club and a renowned French player, they're in our way, and we intend to beat them.
A great atmosphere for this match, which we ultimately won 3 games to 1. Nico and I won in an epic match that ended 8-6 in the tiebreaker!
The semi-finals are ours, with clubs from Montreuil, Evry, and Bordeaux, who will be our next opponents in the semi-finals! At that moment, our captain said to us: "Guys, whatever happens, we've signed up for two more games! Let's go for this final!" ".
Against Bordeaux, we won 3 games to 1! Euphoria!!! We're in the final!!! We've finally reached the final we've been hoping for all weekend.
RSFT on the road to the final
And it's against the Montreuil team, which dominated the two big teams, the Evry Coyotes, in the quarterfinals and semifinals, that we'll be fighting to reach the top step of the podium.
Our first doubles team lost 2 sets to 0 against Miguel Dos Santos Lote, French number 1 and world number one player, and his partner.
Nico and I play doubles 2 against a pair who were finalists at the WCS Bonzini three years ago. We win the first set easily, then my body fails me at the worst possible moment. My left arm is frozen, my backs are nervous, and I feel victory slipping away. The result: 5-2 3-5 3-5…
Our doubles 3 wins their match with difficulty, and it's our doubles 4 who can allow us to advance to the famous penalty shootout that has brought suspense to many matches this weekend! But unfortunately, the Villeurbanne doubles team loses, and Montreuil-sur-Mer is awarded the title of French Club Cup Winner! Congratulations to Hervé and Miguel Dos Santos Lote's team for this great victory!
Our team finished second in this edition of the French Club Cup!
Photo credit: RSFT
