From Brussels to Bethlehem, Fileccia confronts his destiny
ANDREA Fileccia might not have known what he was letting himself in for by allowing Belgian compatriot Tom Saintfiet to lure him to Free State Stars with the promise of exotic travels and top-flight football oneand-a-half years ago.
Fileccia lined up for Belgium’s Under-17, U-19 and U-21 teams alongside Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and midfielders Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City and Romelu Lukaku of Everton.
Now he plies his trade on a rough pitch, in front of the corrugated-iron main stand of Goble Park in Bethlehem. Even Fileccia seems to find it hard to explain how he got there.
“I came because of Saintfiet,” the striker said this week. “He’d seen me play five or six games [for UR La Louviere Centre in Belgium’s third division].
“When he came to South Africa he gave me a call and asked me to come out for a week just to see the team and everything.
“I came for trials and [Stars general manager] Rantsi Mokoena saw me play and said, ‘OK, we want to give you a contract’. Maybe there was some adventure element. But for me I also just thought maybe this was my destiny.”
A former Feyenoord Rotterdam youth product, like Kermit Erasmus, Fileccia was loaned to satellite club Excelsior in 2010, a season after the Orlando Pirates striker’s spell there.
The Belgian leads the South African by four goals this season in the PSL. Going into this weekend’s matches, Fileccia was joint-top scorer with Mpumalanga Black Aces’ Collins Mbesuma on six goals.
Yet, after a bright start under the intelligent but eccentric Saintfiet last season, Fileccia’s safari into the land of mielie farmers and Bloemfontein Celtic fans almost turned into a nightmare. Saintfiet was fired in November after 10 games.
“I think it was because of the coaches,” Fileccia said. “Their tactics were defensive and did not suit my game. For me it was very tough.
“I live in Bethlehem. To be honest, it’s difficult for me. In other places players maybe socialise after a game. In Bethlehem it’s not possible, so it’s just about football.
“In September the board decided on that coach [Ernst Middendorp], and then everything changed.”
Fileccia’s goal return has come in seven matches since German Middendorp’s appointment replacing Kinnah Phiri. Stars have gone from last place to 10th.
Perhaps a return to Europe is next, or SA’s big teams might come knocking. “If some opportunity would arise, that would be OK. But now I don’t think of that. I just want to play soccer,” Fileccia said.