The beautiful virtual game

THESE days, there are two kinds of sports – physical and electronic. Julio “Beast” Bianchi, 20, has been on both sides of the fence.

The resident of Ravensmead has been playing football since the age of seven. To this day, he is mad about the game.

He was an exceptional player, managing to reach the national under-13 level, but as he got older, his interest in virtual sports grew.

He started improving his skills in Fifa 18 behind the scenes to the point where he was able to beat all his friends, becoming the best at the game among them. “I’ve been playing Fifa since the age of eight. I played against my friends and tried outplaying online and I was doing quite well among those in South Africa,” said Bianchi.

His skill level has only increased since then, and he is currently ranked as the 24th best Fifa player globally. Local eSports team Goliath Gaming took a liking to him, and he signed with them on May 1, becoming the team’s sole professional Fifa player.

He is currently an accounting student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and still manages to find time to balance gaming with work, though not without some difficulty.

“It can become quite challen- ging with exams edging closer and assignments being due, but it’s all about balance and planning ahead.

“I like pushing myself and I thrive under pressure, so it’s manageable for me,” he said.

Owing to his eSports career, Bianchi has been off the pitch for a long time.

“I stopped playing for quite some time as I’m studying, and it was difficult, but I would like to play again for the university,” he said.

“Gaming has always been there, but real football was always my main thing. I live for football and it has been part of my life for most of my 20 years. That’s what I was known for.”

His most recent outing was at the VS Gaming Festival 2018 at Montecasino in Joburg, where he represented Goliath Gaming in the Fifa tournament.

He progressed to the semi-finals, losing to his opponent in a penalty shootout.

“It was heartbreaking as I felt I should have and could have won the game.”

His ultimate goals are to start his own financial accounting company and become Fifa world champion.

“I want to compete against the best in the industry and make those around me proud.”

Julio ‘Beast’ Bianchi is ranked the 24th best ‘Fifa’ player globally.

Laduma! Scoring a goal in the digital game is as rewarding as on the pitch.

Bianchi is a master of the virtual art and on the real pitch.

Bianchi, from Ravensmead, in his Goliath Gaming gear.