Italian Floorball Championship A1 2025/26: Matchday 7
- Alessio Casamassima
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Second game of the Serie A1 return round for Spartak Milano, who head to Sesto to face a Geas team on fire. The arena already feels super Christmassy, and you can tell this won’t be just any match. To finally grab their first league win, the biancoblu need every bit of support from their fans and—why not—a little touch of magic….
Sunday, December 21st, 2025
Geas vs Spartak Milano 6-7: The Match That Saved Christmas
That Sunday morning I walked into the Sesto arena with the slow pace of someone who knows winter all too well. My heavy coat kept the cold away, and my red beanie—just a regular one, the kind everyone wears this time of year—was pulled down over my eyes. I settled high up in the stands, where you could see the whole court and it was easier to stay unnoticed. The Pala Carzaniga was half‑empty, and the only company I had were a few shivering parents and a handful of fans. Nobody paid attention to me, and that was perfectly fine. The best stories always start in the most unexpected places.
It was December 21st, and on the court they were playing a floorball match—more precisely, the seventh round of the Italian Serie A1 Championship between the home team Geas and Spartak Milano, still looking for their first win. Even if it might have seemed a bit odd, I wasn’t there by accident. Some games are different from all the others, and there was no way I was missing this one. The reason was simple: in the inside pocket of my coat I had a small piece of paper, folded over and over, written in a clumsy handwriting that didn’t quite respect the margins yet. It asked for something simple, almost naïve: the First Win of the Season.
I didn’t need anything else.
First period (1–1). The story can begin.
I watched the first half in silence. The Sesto boys came out strong—stronger than I expected. High pressure, crazy pace, and after just a few minutes Fabio Sicchiero, Spartak’s goalie, had to pull off a save that almost made me let out a ‘ho-ho…’, but luckily I bit my tongue just in time. What a character that guy is. I knew his knee was bothering him, but thankfully the hand he needed to scoop the ball out of the top corner was working just fine.
Sesto’s goal, though, was in the air, and it came soon after with a nice shot at the near post, helped by a defensive mistake. I sighed.
Not exactly the best start for Milano, nor for the wish of my little letter‑writer. And almost as if he’d heard me muttering from the stands, Spartak’s number 9 got the ball from a teammate and put together a goal that not even one of my elf friends could’ve wrapped up better: after a classy nutmeg to get past his marker, Davide Fornari fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner. What magic! What a goal! I clapped with such enthusiasm that two people in front of me turned around.
After the goal from one of their national‑team players, Spartak Milano kept pushing, closing down the middle of the court and breaking forward on the counter… but I’ve got to say, that Sunday their finishing just wasn’t quite there. I watched, drumming my fingers nervously on my knee, and every now and then I brushed the little letter in my pocket, as if to remind myself why I was there.
Second period (3–3). The Dream Continues.
I’ll admit it: when the second half started, I wasn’t even in my seat, and I almost missed Milano’s explosive first minutes. I had barely sat down when the duo Elia Marinello–Davide Brambilla scored two goals in quick succession, each one prettier than the last. I got so excited I nearly spilled my coffee (bought from the always‑well‑stocked stand run by the Sesto moms, by the way) all over my white beard. ‘Good, good… now we’re talking,’ I thought.
But after those two sudden flashes from Spartak, Sesto Geas didn’t give up and pulled one back with a great first‑time shot that Sicchiero couldn’t do anything about. In that moment, my heart sank a little, and I saw the biancoblu wobble again, unable to handle the pressure and making a mess of their build‑ups.
I watched the slightly chaotic play with growing anxiety, until a small cold draft down my back told me something bad was coming. And there it was: penalty for Sesto. Things were looking grim. As the red‑and‑black striker moved toward the Spartak goal, I thought, ‘Let’s hope this ends like last year’s A2 final…
And as if he’d heard me, the Sesto player got within inches of the goalie, tried to score with a zorro move and… Wide!!! ‘Sometimes even my wishes get granted. Who knows by whom.’ I let out a relieved sigh.
What a rollercoaster this Italian Championship floorball match was. After the missed penalty, the game turned into a whirlwind of twists and turns, as if we’d jumped straight from Christmas Eve to New Year’s fireworks: penalties flying everywhere, Spartak first in power play and then in box play, with a wild Brembol carrying the ball glued to his stick and dragging three opponents at a time. What a player! And then suddenly Sesto hit the crossbar — the ball, almost pushed by a cold breath of wind, bounced back into play and magically rolled out of the goal area! Ho ho ho… what a scare!
Then finally came Matteo van de Loo’s goal, and I celebrated like never before. Number 25 somehow shoved the ball into the net, arriving ‘on the trailer’ after a great burst down the left by Mister Giuzzi.
I applauded, and by then the only sound echoing through the arena was the muffled clap of my red mittens.
But after the fireworks came the pain: first a wild ball slipped out of Fabio’s hand, then a shot deflected by Elia Marinello turned into the unluckiest own goal, bringing Sesto level again. The match felt cursed, and after seeing a Spartak goal disallowed at the end of the period, I slipped my hand into my pocket and squeezed the little letter tight. ‘Don’t worry, my little one… we’re not done yet.
Third period (2–3). A Fairy‑Tale Ending.
There were only 20 minutes left. Just one more period to make a wish come true. A dream that wasn’t like all the others. It carried the innocence and purity of someone who still believes the world can change with a breath of magic carried by the cold Christmas wind.
The third period started with a huge chance wasted by a Spartak player who, if I looked closely, actually resembled me a bit: thick beard, bright eyes, heavy steps… I wondered where he’d parked his reindeer. Hoohhoho. One thing’s for sure, though: I wouldn’t have missed that cinnamon‑flavored assist Brembol had served up. Luckily, number 18 redeemed himself shortly after, scoring a goal that wasn’t exactly pretty, but precious like a diamond. ‘Go, Pierazzo!’ everyone on the bench shouted his name, and I couldn’t help but smile under my beard. ‘The best gifts almost always come from those you least expect,’ I thought.
And after a few more chances wasted by van de Loo (I really need to remember to put only coal in his stocking…), Pierazzo struck again with another wonderfully messy goal off a random deflection. Like every good fairy tale, this one needed an unexpected hero. Hohohohoho.
Then finally came a Brembol goal off a Beccarini free‑hit, and the little letter in my pocket practically vibrated. The wish was close, so close.
But there were still eight minutes left, and Sesto began a furious siege. They quickly made it 6–7 and kept firing from distance, putting pressure everywhere. I crossed my fingers and watched the court with the expression I only use when it really matters. Come on, biancoblù!
Spartak dug deep, trying to follow Mister Giuzzi’s instructions from a much‑needed time‑out, and kept the game alive like a fireplace flame on Christmas Eve.
Sesto kept shooting from every angle; at one point I almost felt like lending the biancoblu defense my sweet Rudolph to stand in front of the goal. But that Sunday, Spartak didn’t need her. They had Fabio… oh, Fabio.
Every save was a tiny miracle, a gingerbread cookie that made fans and teammates hungry for more. In the third period alone he made 17 saves, and with every ball he caught or intercepted, I nodded like someone recognizing a brave heart.
When, after those last endless minutes, the buzzer finally echoed through the arena and ended Sesto’s assault, I stood up slowly. No one noticed my satisfied smile. No one saw the little letter that, once outside the door, dissolved into a small trail of light.
Somewhere, a child would find under the tree the gift he wanted more than anything.
And Spartak Milano, that day, had finally won. Merry Christmas!
Italian Floorball Championship 2025/26 - Matchday 7
STERZING | SSV DIAMANTE BOLZANO | 4-5 |
GEAS U SESTO | FC DRAGONS | 2-7 |
GEAS U SESTO | SPARTAK MILANO | 6-7 |
Next game on January 17th in Madone (BG) for the 8th round of the Italian Serie A1 Floorball Championship.
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