Sunday 08 / June / 2025
Barcelona: Muscat Football Academy's teams have been knocked out of the Mundialito Junior World Cup.
While MFA’s under-11 side lost 1-0 to a smartly-taken first-half free kick executed by local youth side CF Vila Seca in the Round of 16 of the Bronze Cup, the under-9s suffered a more agonising defeat after they overcame Catalan side CF Costa Daurada – in whose region the cup is being held – before conceding a last-gasp goal to Brazilian side Sport Education in the quarters.
Although MFA are now out of the competition proper, the Mundialito organisers have set up a series of friendlies for them alongside other eliminated teams, though it will do little to reduce the pain that was seen on the tear-stained faces of Muscat Football Academy’s young players.
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“When people join our academy, parents trust me with their children,” said MFA Head Coach Chuck Martini, speaking exclusively to Times of Oman after the under-9s were knocked out. “I am their second father and these boys have a very special place in my heart, and one of the reasons I bring these players to Mundialito is because next year, I don’t want to see them in my dressing room, but some of these big football clubs’ dressing rooms, so that is my aim for them.
“In sport, there can only be one winner, especially team sports,” added the former Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper. “I think dejection will always be a part of that reaction, knowing that their tournament has come to an end. When you have kids of seven or eight years old – we have a very young side – that is not really a big, physical, daunting team, it is a natural reaction for them to feel sad, because they wanted to progress to the semi-final and experience what it was like to be like to try and lift the trophy. We’ve been here three years now and haven’t that yet, but we have to put things into perspective.
“We are a small fish in a really big sea here,” said Martini, a former football manager. “Let’s take one step backwards because we are playing against the cream of the cream and the participants who play in the Champions League, and you are also playing against players that are being prepared and groomed to become the next superstars, the next Champions League winners and the next World Cup winners.”
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The former Morocco international goalkeeper – who represented his nation at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the US – chose to dwell on the lessons his team have learned.
“The one thing I can say is that I am very fortunate to be here and for my academy to be here, but I think we have warranted our presence here,” said Martini. “My boys have learned a big lesson here: they’ve learned how to play as professionals and what it means to play against them. It is also an eye-opener for the parents that have come here. This is a special tournament and we’re honoured that we can have our children play against some the finest players in the world.”
As a manager, Martini felt it was his responsibility to get the best out of these young players and provide them a platform to excel in future.
“A part and parcel of management is to motivate them and the kids feed off the energy sometimes, they look to me on the touchline for instructions and they see how pumped-up I am to continue and energise them when they feel a little bit down and I am also there to be that shoulder to cry on because at the end of the day, this is a football match and I want them to enjoy that experience and I want them to learn from this experience,” said Martini.
“But it is not the end of the world. We have lost the game and we are out of the tournament, and at the end of the day, when they are dejected and they are crying, I am just as dejected as they are.
“In fact, when they lost today, after I went to sign up my team for the next phase of the tournament, my first thought was the need to keep them preoccupied,” he added. “When you manage children, you have to embody the spirit that they have and you want to take it and nurture it. I do want to turn these boys into men so I am at times harsh and I will say some harsh words to them, but at the same time, I will put my arm around them and say ‘Hey, this doesn’t really matter so let’s just learn from it.’”
The Mundialito – Spanish for Little World Cup – features the best youth teams and top academies from professional clubs across the world. This season’s tournament has seen 94 teams, including Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Rangers, FC Porto, Sporting Lisbon, FC Barcelona and Juventus, among many others.
