FRAMERIES CONFIRMS ITS STATUS AS A EUROPEAN POWERHOUSE WITH A RECORD-BREAKING MAJOR EDITION.
The international Major, held on March 7th and 8th, marked a new milestone in the tournament’s history. With nearly 300 registered players and 60 participating teams, the event set a new participation record and confirmed its growing appeal on the European table football scene. The weekend was marked by hard-fought final stages in all categories, often undecided until the very last moments.
In Open category, out of 141 participants (a record for this category at a Major), Carlos Flores (F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia/ITA), the Spanish living legend, dominated the final against the surprising but no less talented and likeable Stefano Buono (SC Bagheria/ITA), whose instinctive skill needs no introduction.
Matches between the survivors of the preliminary round were already of a very high standard! Several very good players or even top players have lost in the play-offs and in the 1/32 finals, such as the Belgians Christophe Dheur (Valletta SC/MLT), Sébastien Scheen (ST Stembert/BEL), Pascal Scheen (ST Stembert/BEL), Florian Giaux (Rochefort TS/BEL), Justin Leroy (Rochefort TS/BEL), the Maltese Jurgen Balzan (Valletta SC/MLT), the French Raphaël Pommier (FTC Caen/FRA), Rémi Soret (AS Hennuyer), David Leroy (Rochefort TS/BEL), Matteo Ciccarelli (Napoli combatants TS/ITA), Mattia Ferrante (Eagles Napoli/ITA), Paolo Zambello (Subbuteo Casale/ITA), the Austrian Christian Haas (Bormla SC/MLT), and many others…
Luca Battista (Naples TS/ITA fighters), Nikolaos Charatsis, Mark Gauci, Théo Modeste (ASD SC Salernitana/ITA), Sérgio Ramos (Valletta SC/MLT), Saverio Bari (F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia/ITA), Samuel Bartolo (Valletta SC/MLT, Filippo Cubeta (F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia/ITA), Massimo Bolognino (Eagles Napoli/ITA) did not advance to the 1/16 finals!!
In the quarter-final, we find 3 Spaniards (Carlos Flores (F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia/ITA), Antonio Casin (F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia/ITA), David Gonzalez (Bormla SC/MLT), two Italians (Luca Zambello (Subbuteo Casale/ITA) and Stefano Buono (SC Bagheria/ITA), two Belgians (Sami Targui (SC Charleroi/BEL) and Bessim Golger Bormla SC/MLT), and a Greek, George Genitsaropoulos (ASD SC Salernitana/ITA)! The battle is on!
The semi-finals offered two identical scenarios.
Carlos Flores, the overwhelming favorite despite the stiff competition, had to fight hard against Sami Targui, who always rises to the occasion. Targui had several opportunities to win this spectacular semi-final, which ended with the Spaniard’s victory in sudden death (3-2).
The other semi-final pitted the talented Stefano Buono from the Bagheria club against the Spanish international, David Gonzalez. After a match full of twists and turns, Buono ultimately prevailed, also with a score of 3-2 in regulation time.
An unprecedented final between Carlos Flores and Stefano Buono. The two players offered us a colorful spectacle, and above all, one full of mutual respect. The current world number one (Carlos Flores) won the match 6-3, after a close scoreline until the very end. 3-3. Proof that in our sport, at the highest level, two minutes of lapse in concentration can turn a match around.
Picture Copyright Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer
Veterans: Di Maggio demonstrates his consistency.
In the Veterans category, the same observation as in the Open category was made: the level was so high that out of the 95 entrants (a record for a Major in this category), some big names were eliminated very early in the competition. The quarterfinals featured a lineup including Francesco Torano (Master San Remo/ITA), Alberto Di Maggio (Bologna Tigers/ITA), the surprising Massimo Averna (Subbuteo Club Reggio Calabria/ITA), Benoît Massart (SC Temploux/BEL), Daniel Scheen (ST Stembert/BEL), Pasquale Torano (Subbito Gol Ferrara/ITA), William Dotto (F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia/ITA), and Jason Pisani (Bormla SC/MLT). What a lineup!
Alberto Di Maggio confirmed his consistency throughout the final stages. After an offensive victory against Massimo Averna in the semi-final, he faced William Dotto in the final. Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, William Dotto got the better of Daniel Scheen and secured a narrow 2-1 win.
In the final, in a more tactical but no less intense match, Di Maggio proved more effective in the key moments to secure a 2-1 win, a victory built on control rather than a spectacular feat. This perfectly encapsulates his current season in the veterans category. Twelve podium finishes in the last twelve months! What more can be said…
Picture Copyright Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer
Women: Two pure talents in action!
The women’s category delivered one of the most closely contested finals of the weekend after eliminating 15 of the 17 participants (a record number of entries in a Women’s Major).
In the semi-finals, Delphine Dieudonné (ELMAye SC/BEL) had to overcome a very close match against Eleonora Buttitta (SC Bagheria), while Irène Linquercq-Rivière (BOSS/FRA) secured her qualification after a tight match against the champion, Audrey Herbaut (Elan Champs sur Marne/FRA).
The final was a duel of nerves and pure talent! Dieudonné, drawing on her experience and technique, took a two-goal lead against one of the most talented French players in history, although perhaps underrated. Her opponent’s strength of character and composure allowed her to quickly equalize and gain the upper hand in the match. At that point, and after a 10-minute interruption of the match due to a health issue affecting the best female player of all time (Dieudonné), it was Dieudonné who managed to turn the tide and ultimately made the difference, winning 3-2 and demonstrating her ability to handle pressure in decisive moments.
Picture Copyright Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer
U20: Soret upsets the hierarchy
A great competition with 10 players took place, and the U20 semi-finals were marked by close scores and constant intensity. Louis Soret (AS Hennuyer/BEL) qualified for the final after a hard-fought victory against his friend and teammate, Rafaël Midoux (AS Hennuyer/BEL), joining Cristian Antúnez (Tiburones FM/ESP), winner of a spectacular match against Noah Dirick (Wamme SC/BEL). The final saw Soret turn the tide to win 2-1, demonstrating significant tactical progress in managing high-stakes matches.
Picture Copyright Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer
U16: Siciliano triumphs in a tight final
In this category, Alessandro Siciliano (A.S. Cosenza/ITA) overcame Nicola Carnino (Subbuteisti Modena 1982/ITA) in the semi-finals, while Manuel Baena (Tiburones FM/ESP) secured his place in the final after a solid performance against rising Belgian star Konstandinos Tsangouris (SC Lion’s Eugies/BEL).
The very evenly matched Italian-Spanish final came down to the wire after a draw, with Siciliano ultimately prevailing in the penalty shootout.
Picture Copyright Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer
U12: Averna Dominates the Tournament
Among the youngest players, Marco Averna (Subbuteo Club Reggio Calabria/ITA) left his mark on the competition with his exuberant performances.
After a controlled semi-final against Hadley Chapman (Kent Invicta TFC/ENG), who put up a respectable fight, he faced Gaetano Buono (SC Bagheria/ITA), who had defeated Aleksandar Rossitto (Bari Table Soccer/ITA).
The final was more decisive than expected, with Averna winning 6-1, demonstrating a very high level of technical skill already evident in this age group.
We hope that parents and coaches will continue to instill respect, humility, and fair play in our young talents. For it is in this way that champions become true CHAMPIONS.
Picture Copyright Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer
Team Competitions: What Else?!
The team competition confirmed the high caliber of the field.
60 teams registered! The best in the world!
The proof is that :
Eliminated in the Round of 16: the world number 1 for the past 21 months, Bormla SC (Malta) ; TSC Falcons Athens (Greece), 9th in the world rankings ; Bologna Tigers (Italy), 4th in the world rankings ; ST Stembert (Belgium), 5th in the world rankings ; the ever-formidable ASD SC Salernitana (Italy) ; and other lower-ranked but equally strong teams.
The semi-finals pitted several experienced teams against each other, notably F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia (Ital), who have been dominating the Italian and international scene this season; the talented Subbuteo Casale team (Italy), which welcomed back Luca Zambello this season; the established Napoli Fighter TS (Italy), featuring several players from the Italian national team; and Rochefort TS (Belgium), returning to competition after a hiatus for their key players (Justin Leroy, Rémy, Huynh, Florian Giaux, and David Leroy), accompanied by their friends and equally talented reinforcements. The main final saw Subbuteo Casale emerge victorious after an extremely close match against F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia, whose squad included the previous day’s winner, Carlos Flores. It was a victory secured in a match where every mistake was immediately punished. The final was a nail-biter, right down to the last second, where each Casale player demonstrated their experience despite their young age. Now, a one-goal lead secured in the final minutes of the match.
A final just the way we like them! With mutual respect despite the enormous stakes! This is the table football everyone wants!
Congratulations to these champions who traveled and gave their all, thanks to the exceptional work, it must be emphasized, of the Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer team, without whom none of this would have been possible!
In conclusion:
This tournament isn’t just about victories. It reveals a structural evolution:
the average level is improving
the gaps are narrowing
the pressure in the final stages is becoming crucial
In other words, winning no longer depends solely on technical skill. Managing critical moments becomes the deciding factor.
And that’s precisely what this record-breaking edition highlighted.