Australian table football stars ready to flick against the world

Two Australians will be doing their best against some of the world’s top table footballers this weekend at the FISTF World Cup in Paris, France.

Table football, also known by its long established brand name of Subbuteo, is a table top replication of football, much loved around the world for 70 years.  Fédération Internationale de Sport Football de Table (FISTF) is the game’s governing body.

Australia’s FISTF World Cup competitors Robert Green and Daniele Lombardi are no strangers to international competition and both are hoping for strong showings.

For Sweden-based Green this will be at his fifth World Cup. He is ranked 27th in the Veterans category and in the top 200 in the Open field.  He is a former Australian champion, and recently took out the Danish International Open in the Veterans category. 

From his base in Europe he is one of Australia’s highly-regarded players on a global basis.

Green explains “I got my first Subbuteo set when I started playing in 1975, it was the English kids at school who introduced me to the sport.

“I was a Socceroos fan, and started to talk football with the English. They introduced me to the table-top version and the rest is history.”

For Lombardi, from the Sydney Table Football Club, will be competing in his first World Cup.

Recalling that he started playing Subbuteo when he was 10 years old, Lombardi adds “since winning the NSW Spring League against some of the best players in this state, I knew I wanted to play more overseas.

“I played in a major tournament in Naples earlier in the year, and I am looking to improve my world ranking at this Paris tournament.”

Both players will be playing at the Asian Cup in Australia next year. 

15th August 2017 - MELBOURNE CITY FC SIGN A-LEAGUE’S FIRST FIFA ESPORTS PLAYER 

11th July 2017 - TEG APPOINTS NEW DATA, DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGING DIRECTOR 

19th May 2017 - IEM ESPORTS DEBUT AUSTRALIAN EVENT ATTRACTS 8 MILLION GLOBAL VIEWERS

18th May 2017 - AUSTRALIAN FIRST AS ADELAIDE CROWS ACQUIRE ESPORTS TEAM

3rd July 2016 - RECORD CROWD FOR FUTSAL EXHIBITION EVENT AT MELBOURNE’S STATE NETBALL AND HOCKEY CENTRE

11th February 2014 - SCHOOL GAMES TO BRING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS TO ADELAIDE