2025 Italian Floorball Cup: Spartak Milano play at Rome

The 2025/26 Italian floorball season opens on September 27 and 28 with the first national trophy. Reigning A2 champions Spartak Milano take to the field with a few new additions and a desire to perform well in their first match of a season that will see them return to the top A1 league after two years.

During the two-day event in Rome, eight of the best Italian floorball teams will compete: in addition to Spartak Milano, the three Roman teams of Black Lions, Viking and Evergreen Alligators; SSV Diamante Bolzano and ASV Sterzing; Firelions Serenissima and the new team of Fc Dragons born from the collaboration between Fc Molotov and Varese Wildboars.

This year's Coppa Italia weekend is taking place in Rome with a well-established format. Teams compete starting with the Quarterfinals: the winner advances to the top of the seeding bracket to compete for the final victory and the top four spot; the loser competes for the fifth through eighth spots. Each match is played over two 20-minute halves, with teams fielding five players plus a goalkeeper. These rules are essentially the same as those used in the A2 Championship, allowing for a faster and more spectacular game, as well as being helpful in keeping costs down. Of the eight teams competing, the clear favorites are Bolzano and FC Dragons, which feature the strongest players from Varese and Milan, as well as the ever-fearsome Vikings. Interestingly, this edition does not feature the 2024 title holder, FC Milano Molotov, who will therefore be unable to defend the title they won last year, not without controversy.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Sterzing vs Spartak Milano 6-4

The Milanese team, champions of Serie A2, plays its first match of the tournament against Vipiteno. Two new players, "loans" from Serenissima, but above all true veterans of Italian floorball, are making their debut for Spartak Milan: Elia Marinello and Serena Benetollo, who played and won the Serie A1 with FC Milano last year and who have decided to move to the other side of the Naviglio this year. Elia and Serena, both players who also played for the national team, are important additions for Spartak Milan, which will return to the top division of Italian floorball this year.

Despite the new additions, Spartak Milan performed poorly against Sterzing, conceding four goals in the first 10 minutes without ever managing to express any real offensive play. The goals all came from very close range, and goalkeeper Fabio Sicchiero (who ultimately made 24 saves, most of them decisive) was helpless to contain the large deficit.

The Milanese team is disorganized, and all their goals come from very close range shots or from shots that bounce off the back of the net, always finding the opponent free to finish.

Before Vipiteno's fifth goal closed the first half, Davide "Brembol" Brambilla finished off a beautiful assist from Elia Marinello: the two were perfectly connected, demonstrating a connection this weekend that hadn't been seen since they were both playing for the senior national team.

Spartak quickly absorbed the deficit and played a completely different game in the second half. Milan began to move the ball around as they usually do and came close to an incredible comeback, scoring a solid 3-1. Brembol was once again the star of the show with two solo goals, and Elia also scored his first deserved goal near the end.

In addition to Elia, who immediately reconnected with Brembol, Serena also contributed her crucial technique and experience, playing as a winger in a second line that has historically been more conservative than the first.

After losing the quarterfinal match against Sterzing, Spartak Milano finds itself in the lower half of the Italian Cup table and must face Serenissima to qualify for the final for fifth place.

Watch the live match on YouTube

Firelions Serenissima vs Spartak Milano 6-8

Not even 20 minutes into the match against Sterzing, Spartak faced Firelions Serenissima. The Veneto team, brimming with young talent, took full advantage of Milan's indecision and, with a high-pressure attack, managed to nip the opposition's moves in the bud. Spartak was overwhelmed: the first half ended with a heavy 6-1 deficit for Serenissima, and the white-and-blues couldn't seem to figure out how to get back on their feet.

In the first half, Milan played terribly, with only Catanzaro saving themselves, as the opposition's goals all came from quick, one-man-only moves, and the Elia-Brembol duo, which scored the only goal.

Once the initial hangover wore off, Spartak, like against Sterzing, only began to play in the second half, and finally their number 9 also woke up. Davide Fornari pulled off some house specials and, together with the aforementioned Brembol and Elia, accomplished the feat. In 20 minutes, the three scored six goals, evenly distributed, bringing the score to 6-8 (three goals for Brembol and Fornari, two for Elia).

Milan came from behind to win a two-faced game, a thrilling one for the fans, but a little less so for Coach Giuzzi's coronary heart. Giuzzi, especially in anticipation of the first matchday of the A1 Championship, will have to understand the reasons for his initially too soft approach to matches, which risks becoming a dangerous habit.

Watch the live match on YouTube

2025 Italian Floorball Cup - Results as of September 27, 2025

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Black Lions Roma vs Spartak Milano 1-2

You again? Weren't we supposed to see each other again? Our Black Lions friends will forgive us this amusing "Battistian" reference, but the match between Roma and Milan has become a classic in Italian floorball finals and mini-finals. Fortunately, the blue-and-whites almost always emerge victorious, despite the black-and-golds being an increasingly competitive team with big plans (congratulations on your brand new "home," editor's note) and an enviable recruiting ability, especially among young players.

Compared to their first two Coppa Italia matches, this time, Spartak started with focus and was undeterred by the opponent's greater dynamism. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the goal that gave Milan the lead was scored by one of the blue-and-whites' most "ice-cold" players, Marco Affò, who finished off a fine move with a perfect long-range shot. Fabio Sicchiero then protected the narrow lead, proving himself adept not only in goal but also in coming out of the box.

As in the first half, the two teams engaged in an open battle in the second half (it's always exciting to watch Spartak and Black Lions play floorball, ed.), and Roma managed to equalize after several dangerous chances. The game seemed locked in perfect balance when Brembol broke through thanks to a perfect assist from Elia.

In the final tense minutes, Roma even removed their goalkeeper but failed to find the equalizer.

Spartak Milan once again defeated Black Lions in the "final" and secured a solid fifth-place finish in the 2025 Italian Floorball Cup. Call them emotions, if you will...

Watch the live match on YouTube

2025 Italian Floorball Cup - Results as of September 28, 2025

Next appointment, on October 4th and 5th in Carnargo (VA) for the first day of the Italian Floorball Championship Serie A1