When the final whistle blew on Saturday’s NPLW clash between Perth SC and NPLW champions Perth RedStar at Dorrien Gardens, there may well have been mixed feelings from the Perth SC camp.
Happiness, knowing that the draw would likely mean they will end up second in the league and earn a spot in the Top 4 Cup, but also sadness as this was the last game for their captain. Influential midfielder Zoee Spadano will fly out to Italy so she can embark on a new career playing for Kick Off C5 Milan in the Italian Futsal Serie A.
Spadano has been at Perth SC since the start of the NPLW era and has become an integral part of their playing style as she exhibits a calm head in the midfield. She is able to fulfil all the roles of a modern midfielder – she can track back, tackle, pick a pass and is also capable of scoring goals. Her performances during the 2021 season resulted in her earning the title of Young Player of the Year at the end-of-season NPLW awards.
When such an influential and key player leaves her club at a critical part of the season it leads to questions being asked, and Spadano was happy to explain the reasons behind her decision.
“My goal has always been to be a professional athlete. Unfortunately, this comes with decisions and sacrifices that inevitably put me outside my comfort zone, but as I said, I’m prepared to take on the challenge. (Leaving Perth SC) was probably the most challenging part when I decided to take this opportunity. I love the club and the girls, we are a fantastic group, and coach Peter Rakic has done an incredible job this season. We are having a great season, we just came short in the State Cup grand final, and we are now approaching the playoffs in WNPL, so leaving the club at this moment has not been an easy choice.
“When Kick Off C5 Milan told me that I needed to be in Milan by August 15th, I spoke to Peter, who was very supportive of my choice. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I could not say no, but I wish the girls all the best for the rest of the season, and I will still support them from 16,000 km away. Forza Azzurri!”
Spadano also spoke of the support she has received from her Futsal Club, South Perth.
“South Perth Futsal club competes in the Women’s State Futsal League, (which is) sanctioned by Football West and therefore Football Australia. The club is well known in Australia for its women’s players’ development, and we have achieved incredible results, especially in the last 5 years. Their support for opportunities and pathways has always been outstanding, and in December they will also take their senior women’s side to the Women’s World Futsal Cup in Barcelona, and I will definitely go and support the girls so at least I can spend some time with them over Christmas and New Year’s Eve.”
The usual pathways for a footballer who wishes to become a professional is through those offered by NTC/State/NPLW and then into the ALW, but Spadano’s route is very removed from that. We asked her how the move has come to fruition.
“In March 2022 South Perth Futsal Club was invited to play in the April NSDF (National Sports Development Fund) Women’s tournament in Thailand. The tournament was organised by FA Thailand and sanctioned by AFC and FIFA, in preparation for the 2022 ASEAN Games in June in Vietnam.”
The invitation for South Perth to play in the tournament came about because Australia does not yet have an established women’s futsal national team sanctioned by FIFA. South Perth was the only FA-sanctioned and therefore FIFA-sanctioned club in Australia that ticked all the boxes necessary to participate in the competition. Unlike futsal clubs in the eastern States who have not been able to play for two years due to COVID restrictions, South Perth and other WA futsal clubs have continued playing and this was another factor in them getting the invitation.
The club fully subsidised the cost of the trip, enabling the players to grasp the opportunity of playing against international teams and putting them in the shop window.
“We had the chance to play against Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar national teams, which have heavily invested in Futsal in the last 10 years. Our head coach Roberto Boi highlighted how much of an opportunity this would have been as an experience and to test us to play against highly ranked national teams in Asia.
“The games were broadcast on national TV, and we were able to get that footage. Roberto, who also works for Penta Sport Consulting in Asia and Oceania, (they manage some of the best players all over the world), was able to send the game footage to a match analyst to make an assessment.
“Kick Off C5 Milan watched the footage, read the assessment, and contacted Penta Sport Consulting to see if a move for the upcoming Serie A season was possible. Roberto, Penta Sport Consulting and Kick Off C5 Milan have been working to make this happen for the last 4 months and eventually, I got an official offer in July. I decided to take on the offer and start this new journey.”
For many people not involved in Futsal this worldwide interest in the game may seem strange. However, as Spadano explained, the game is huge in many parts of the world and is expanding here in Australia, including in WA.
“Futsal in WA has always been quite popular, and the support of Football West has made the sport grow even more, especially during the league’s off-season. Many girls who play in the NPLW and ALW have played in the Women’s State Futsal League. Sadie Lawrence, Marianna Tabain, Gemma Craine, Ella Mastrantonio, Abbey Meakins, Kim McCartney, Rebecca Bennett, Baxter Thew, Jamie Duncanson, Gabby Dal Busco and Carla Bennett are just a few names.
“Australia does not have a FIFA-sanctioned women’s national team side at this stage, unlike the Men’s Futsalroos team, (but) I believe it’s just a matter of time before this happens because FA is now affiliated with AFC, which has invested many resources to grow the sport of Futsal in the last 10 years.
“Futsal is massive in Asia, Europe and South America, and its growth can be seen in Africa too. In countries like Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina it’s very common for Futsal to be part of the school curriculum, and it’s basically what kids play at a young age until they are 12-13 before transitioning to football. Futsal does complement football and its player development due to the fast-paced nature of the game as players need to be able to think and act faster than in a typical football game.”
Whilst the opportunities this incredibly exciting move provides are huge, there are also some major challenges ahead for Spadano as she relocates to a new country.
“Moving away, it’s not an easy challenge. I have assessed all the pros and cons with my coach Roberto who moved from Italy to Australia 8 years ago, and I have decided to go. Kick Off C5 Milan and Penta Sport Consulting have been very supportive of this move. They laid out the plan for my transfer and my move to Milan, I will share the accommodation with some of the best players in the world, and I think this will make my move easy. I have some relatives in Abruzzo, where my family is from. Roberto works closely with Italy and Serie A and has an extensive network; his family lives there, so this will probably make things much more manageable.
“I am of Italian descent and just got my Italian citizenship recently. I do not speak Italian currently, but I’m studying it and will have to learn it there. Kick Off C5 Milan has players from all over the world, so some of us will have to learn Italian. I will be working with Italian and Spanish coaches, so hopefully, I will learn the language quickly!”
Spadano’s move to Italy will obviously mean she won’t be part of any Perth Glory squad for season 2022/23 and we asked her if there was any sense of regret about her decision.
“I have been part of the training team (at Glory), always gave 100%, and I really enjoyed the experience with them, but my decision is not influenced by Perth Glory at all. I have made this decision because I love Futsal, and I want to play and learn in one of the best women’s Futsal leagues in the world.
“Many football clubs in the world have Futsal teams. Lazio and Benfica are perfect examples. It would be awesome to see a Perth Glory Futsal side in the future because there are so many opportunities that the club and players can access.”
Finally, we asked her if she would be returning to WA to play in the NPLW again or whether this move signals a fresh start for her career and a focus on Futsal.
“My main focus now is helping the club to achieve its goals and, obviously, to learn and compete as much as I can. We have 26 rounds to play as well as the Italian Cup. The season starts on September 18th and ends in May 2023. I don’t know what will happen after that. At this stage, I’m focusing on Futsal and Kick Off C5 Milan and trying to do my best in the upcoming Futsal Serie A season.”
