Christophe Dheur (WR 5) (BEL/CCT Eagles Napoli) lifted the German GP Open crown, edging Claudio Panebianco (8) (ITA/SC Catania 1987) 3 2 in a thrilling final.
Dheur’s road to the title included a 1-0 semi final victory over Wolfgang Haas (18) (AUT/Bormla SC) and a dominant 6-1 quarter final win against William van den Houte (37) (BEL/Bormla SC).
Quarter finals
• Bessim Golger (2) (BEL/Bormla SC) 0–5 Claudio Panebianco (858) (ITA/SC Catania 1987)
• Wolfgang Haas (3) (AUT/Bormla SC) 3–2 George Ebejer (10) (MLT/Bormla SC)
• Christophe Dheur (5) (BEL/CCT Eagles Napoli) 6–1 William van den Houte (37) (BEL/Bormla SC)
• Lucas Pere (87) (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) 0–2 Pietro Di Pietrantonio (122) (ITA/CCT Eagles Napoli)
Semi finals
• Claudio Panebianco (858) (ITA/SC Catania 1987) 1–0 Wolfgang Haas (3) (AUT/Bormla SC)
• Christophe Dheur (5) (BEL/CCT Eagles Napoli) 5–2 Pietro Di Pietrantonio (122) (ITA/CCT Eagles Napoli)
Final
• Christophe Dheur (5) (BEL/CCT Eagles Napoli) 3–2 Claudio Panebianco (858) (ITA/SC Catania 1987)
Champion: Christophe Dheur (5) (BEL/CCT Eagles Napoli)

Veterans
Jason Pisani (3) (MLT/Bormla SC) captured Veterans gold, defeating Santo Longo (12) (ITA/SC Catania 1987) 2-0 in the final. Earlier, Pisani edged David Busch (15) (AUT/Bormla SC) 2-1 in the semis and ousted Daniel Scheen (4) (BEL/Tiburones FM) 2-0 at the quarter final stage.

Quarter finals
• Jason Pisani (3) (MLT/Bormla SC) 2–0 Daniel Scheen (4) (BEL/Tiburones FM)
• David Busch (9) (AUT/Bormla SC) 3–2 (SD) Massimiliano Croatti (29) (ITA/Master Sanremo)
• Erich Hinkelmann (44) (AUT/TSC Phoenix) 4–3 (SD) Lazaros Papakonstantinou (7) (GRE/Atlas FTC)
• Santo Longo (163) (ITA/SC Catania 1987) 2–1 (SD) Luca Bisio (189) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano)
Semi finals
• Jason Pisani (3) (MLT/Bormla SC) 2–1 (SD) David Busch (9) (AUT/Bormla SC)
• Erich Hinkelmann (44) (AUT/TSC Phoenix) 0–1 Santo Longo (163) (ITA/SC Catania 1987)
Final
• Jason Pisani (3) (MLT/Bormla SC) 2–0 Santo Longo (163) (ITA/SC Catania 1987)
Champion: Jason Pisani (3) (MLT/Bormla SC)

Women
World No. 1 Léa Despretz (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) underlined her status with a straightforward 2 0 final win over Katharina Waldorf Busch (7) (AUT/Bormla SC) to secure the Women’s title.

 U20
Noah Janssens (2) (BEL/ST Stembert) prevailed 2 1 against compatriot Jann Segers (3) (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) in the U20 final.
Janssens had brushed aside Angelo Bisio (4) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano) 3 0 in the semi finals.

Semi finals
• Noah Janssens (2) (BEL/ST Stembert) 3–0 Angelo Bisio (182) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano)
• Thomas Ebejer (19) (MLT/Bormla SC) 1–5 Jann Segers (3) (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer)
Final
• Noah Janssens (2) (BEL/ST Stembert) 2–1 Jann Segers (3) (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer)
Champion: Noah Janssens (2) (BEL/ST Stembert)

 U16
Italy’s Angelo Bisio (3) (TSC Stella Artois Milano) dominated the U16 field, beating Gabriel Ebejer (35) (MLT/Bormla SC) 6 0 in the final. The youngster had earlier seen off Maxim Grosdent (11) (BEL/Wamme SC) 2 1 in the semis after a 7 0 quarter final rout of Johannes Haas (105) (AUT/Free Agent).
Quarter finals
• Angelo Bisio (3) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano) 7–0 Johannes Haas (105) (AUT/Free Agent)
• Angela Haas 0–3 Noah Wulff (29) (GER/SG ’94 Hannover)
• Maxim Grosdent (11) (BEL/Wamme SC) 3–1 Louis Haas (105) (AUT/TSC Royal 78 Kaisermühlen)
• Gabriel Ebejer (35) (MLT/Bormla SC) 0–1 Konstandinos Tsangouris (8) (BEL/SC Lion’s Eugies)
Semi finals
• Angelo Bisio (3) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano) 2–1 Maxim Grosdent (11) (BEL/Wamme SC)
• Konstandinos Tsangouris (8) (BEL/SC Lion’s Eugies) 1–2 Gabriel Ebejer (35) (MLT/Bormla SC)
Final
• Angelo Bisio (3) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano) 6–0 Gabriel Ebejer (35) (MLT/Bormla SC)
Champion: Angelo Bisio (3) (ITA/TSC Stella Artois Milano)

u12
In the juniors, Johannes Haas (AUT) claimed the title.

Teams
Twelve clubs contested the team event: Atlas FTC, Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer, BSC Schwalbach, Barbarians, Bormla SC, SC Catania 1987, SG ’94 Hannover, ST Stembert, Subbuteo Club Höpfigheim, TSC Phoenix, TSG Rain 1970 and Wamme SC.
Semi finals
• Bormla SC 2 1 ST Stembert
• TSC Phoenix 0 4 SC Catania 1987
Final – Bormla SC 1 – 1 SC Catania 1987
Bormla secured the trophy on total goals (6 4) after four fiercely contested singles ties

Final – Bormla SC 1‑1 SC Catania 1987
Bormla secured the trophy on total goals (6‑4) after four fiercely‑contested singles ties:

Golger’s decisive 5‑2 win provided the vital cushion that handed the Maltese club the Ludwigsburg Grand Prix team title.

The FISTF/JTFA Kanagawa International Open Tournament took place on July 13 in Yamato City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Yamato City is a quiet residential area located about 45 minutes from central Tokyo stations such as Shinjuku and Shibuya by express train.

The tournament was held at the Yamato City Citizen Exchange Hub “PoLaRiS”.

The event featured two categories: Open and Women. A total of 16 athletes competed in the Open category, while 4 athletes participated in the Women category.

Although Japan’s top-ranked and third-ranked players did not compete in this tournament, all participants were seasoned competitors with multiple appearances in international tournaments. As a result, the matches were highly competitive, with many closely contested battles throughout the event.

In the Open semifinals, Kenzo Koi (JPN / Yakohama OSC) secured a 1–0 victory over Suguru Fujino (JPN / Tokyo Sunzeol TFC) after a hard-fought overtime battle.

In the other semifinal, Stéphane Lambert (BEL / Yokoahma OSC) defeated Kazuki Okano (JPN / Yokohama OSC) with a score of 2–1.

The Open final ended in a 1–1 draw and was decided by shootout, where Stéphane Lambert emerged victorious with a 2–1 win in the shootout.

In the Women category, Miaki Nishi (JPN / SC Reeds) claimed the championship with a record of 2 wins and 1 draw.

Hideaki Wada (JPN / OSC Yamato Wild Blue TFC) won the Plate tournament.

We hope that each athlete will continue to train with even greater dedication and arrive at next month’s Japan Grand Prix in peak condition.

Alberto Di Maggio WR 8 (GRE/Bologna Tigers Subbuteo) clinched the Open crown at the Athens Major, defeating Saverio Bari WR 4 (ITA/F.lli Bari Reggio Emilia) 2–1 in the final.
In the semifinals Di Maggio beat Leandros Sourlas WR 70 (GRE/Scarlet Battalion SC) 2–0, while Bari beat Nikolaos Charatsis WR 12 (GRE/Scarlet Battalion SC) 3–1.

Group-phase shocks

• Nikolas (07) PSOMIADIS WR 130 (GRE/Subbuteurs Athens TSC) stunned World No. 2 Bessim GOLGER WR 2 (BEL/Bormla SC) 4–3.
• Christos CHYTAS WR 404 (GRE/TSC Falcons Athens) blanked Athanasios BARTZIS WR 108 (GRE/Noctuas Athens TSC) 2–0.
• Giorgos NIAVIS WR 584 (GRE/Crimson Horses) overpowered Georgios BRISKOLAS WR 370 (GRE/Olympia CS) 4–1.

Alberto Di Maggio – winner

Open semis Sourlas Leandros

Veterans
Nikolaos Pappas WR 39 (GRE/Olympia CS) won the Veterans title, edging Lazaros Papakonstantinou WR 7 (GRE/Atlas FTC) 1–0 in the final.
Semifinals: Pappas beat Giorgos Papadopoulos WR 13 (GRE/Pyrasos FTC) 1–0; Papakonstantinou beat Jason Pisani WR 3 (MLT/Bormla SC) 2–0.

Group-phase upsets

• Ioannis MPOUGIOURIS WR 129 (GRE/Subbuteurs Athens TSC) toppled Panagiotis CHARATSIS WR 40 (GRE/Scarlet Battalion SC) 2–0.
• Leonidas PAPAMICHAIL WR 138 (GRE/Noctuas Athens TSC) edged Georgios DIMAKEAS WR 109 (GRE/Roligans Ilioupolis TSC) 2–1.
• Ioannis MPOUGIOURIS WR 129 struck again, beating Sotiris KOROLOGOS WR 104 (GRE/Noctuas Athens TSC) 2–1.

Veterans winner Pappas Nikolaos

Veterans finalist Papakonstantinou Lazaros

Veterans semis Kastellanos Antonis

Veterans semis Pisani Jason

Women
Carolina Villarigues WR 2 (POR/Crimson Horses) dominated the Women’s final, overcoming Eleftheria Papanikolaou WR 8 (GRE/Glyfada United TSC) 5–0 to take the trophy.
Semifinals: Villarigues beat Antonia Karabela WR 42 (GRE/Atlas FTC) 3–1; Papanikolaou beat Ismini Papadimitriou WR 34 (GRE/Scarlet Battalion SC) 4–0.
The group stage went strictly to form, with all top seeds advancing without defeat.

Women winner Villarigues Carolina

Women semis Pappa Chrysoula

Women finalist Papanikolaou Eleftheria

U-16
Panagiotis Skouros WR 4 (GRE/Roligans Ilioupolis TSC) secured the U-16 title with a 2–1 win over Christos Filippou WR 21 (GRE/Crimson Horses).
Semifinals: Skouros beat Panagiotis Flemmos WR 3 (GRE/Crimson Horses) 6–3; Filippou edged Konstandinos Tsangouris WR 8 (BEL/SC Lion’s Eugies) 2–1.
No major surprises emerged in the U-16 groups; higher-ranked players progressed comfortably.

U16 Winner Skouros Panagiotis

Tsangouris Konstandinos

U16 semis Kotrotsos Athanasios

U16 finalist Filippou Christos

U-12
Phillipos Kordantonopoulos WR 5 (GRE/Roligans Ilioupolis TSC) lifted the U-12 crown, defeating Ektoras Pitenis WR 28 (GRE/Crimson Horses) 3–1 in the final.
Semifinals: Pitenis beat Evangelos Konsolas WR 3 (GRE/Noctuas Athens TSC) 3–2; Kordantonopoulos beat Apollon Dimakeas WR 9 (GRE/Roligans Ilioupolis TSC) 2–1.

Group-phase shocks

• Ektoras PITENIS WR 28 upset Phillipos KORDANTONOPOULOS WR 5 3–2, handing the future champion his only defeat.
• Phillipos KORDANTONOPOULOS WR 5 rebounded by overcoming World No. 2 Dimitris BOGDANIDIS WR 2 (GRE/Polis Athlitikos Syllogos Daskaliou Kerateas) 3–1.

U12 winner Kordantonopoulos Philippos

U12 semis Lavrakis Marios

U12 semis Dimakeas Apollon

U12 finalist Pitenis Orestis

In the teams event, World Number one Bormla SC further enhanced their position at the top of the rankings.

Champions

• Bormla SC (MLT) captured the crown, edging Proteas Athens SC (GRE) 2–1 in a tense final.

Road to the Final

Semifinals

• Bormla SC (MLT) 2–1 Olympia CS (GRE)

• Proteas Athens SC (GRE) 2–1 Crimson Horses (GRE)

Quarterfinals

• Bormla SC (MLT) 1–0 Atlas FTC (GRE)

• Olympia CS (GRE) 1–1 Noctuas Athens TSC (GRE) — Olympia advanced after a shoot-out

• Proteas Athens SC (GRE) 2–1 Subbuteurs Athens TSC (GRE)

• Crimson Horses (GRE) 1–1 TSC Falcons Athens (GRE) — Crimson Horses progressed on penalties

Group-Stage Upsets

Several lower-ranked clubs punched above their weight in the opening pools:

• Atlas FTC (GRE) stunned Glyfada United TSC (GRE) 4–0.

• Atlas FTC (GRE) repeated the feat with a 4–0 win over Charilaos Trikoupis TS (GRE).

• Charilaos Trikoupis TS (GRE) upset Glyfada United TSC (GRE) 2–0.

• Olympia CS (GRE) edged Subbuteurs Athens TSC (GRE) 2–1 to top its section.

These surprises reshaped the knockout bracket, but in the end the world-No 1 Bormla SC showed its class, navigating the elimination rounds without defeat to lift the Athens Major team title.

It was a great tournament: 125 individuals, 26 teams . Very competitive, many exciting games in both days. Excellent work from the 3 cameras in table 1 sponsored by company APG – a big thank you –  which were broadcast live during the whole competition.

Italian shot-maker Guido Cerullo (WRk 114) (ITA/GCT DLF Gorizia) produced a string of upsets to win the 2025 Derry Grand Prix Open category, edging England’s Mick Hammonds (65) (ENG/Wolverhampton Table Football Club) 2-1 in a balanced final.

Road to the title
Semi-finals

Cerullo edged out tournament favourite Aaron Skinner (58) (ENG/Langton Green Subbuteo Club) 2-0, while on the opposite side of the draw, Hammonds survived a sudden-death thriller, outlasting French legend Lionel Abecassis (169) (FRA) 3-2 after the pair were locked at 2-2 in regulation time.

Quarter-finals

Skinner eliminated rising star Ruby Matthews (194) (ENG/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) 2-1 in extra-time.

Cerullo shaded Cayne Matthews (258) (ENG/Yorkshire Phoenix) 2-1, while Abecassis edged Kevin Cordell (76) (ENG/Langton Green Subbuteo Club) in a sudden death 1-0 win.

Hammonds pipped veteran Martin Hodds (238) (ENG/Yorkshire Phoenix) 2-1.

The final
Cerullo was delighted with his final win against Hammonds.
“It was a very fair match and Mick is a friend. He beat me in Birmingham in March at the satellite of Pedmore, and now I got my revenge,” Cerullo said.

Hammonds paid tribute to the champion: “Guido took his chances.”

Finalist Mick Hammonds

Notable performances
Teenager Ruby Matthews (194) reached the quarter-final, eliminating Gareth Christie (205) (SCO/Derry City TFC) in the last-16. She won all 3 group games, beat Christie, and her only defeat of the day was 1-2 golden goal to Aaron Skinner.

Local hope Barry Spence (580) (NIR/Irish Premier League) topped his group before falling to Skinner 3-1 in the first knock-out round.

Jason Christopher (ENG/Wolverhampton Table Football Club) took out the Plate/WASPA event, beating Jeremy Bradley (ENG/TSPA White Star) in the final.
 

The Derry Open featured 32 competitors from eight nations.

The dynamic duo!

Organisers  also produced a video compilation of tournament action and post event celebrations.

The flagship Open division of the Messina grand Prix drew a bumper 40-player field split across ten round-robin groups.
World No. 15 Pascal Scheen (BEL/ ST Stembert)  survived a tense semi-final shoot-out against Gerardo Patruno (ITA/ Bologna Tigers Subbuteo) 1-1 (2-1) , then took the title when Italian ace Ferdinando Gasparini (ITA/ASD SC Salernitana) was forced to forfeit the final.

Takafumi Kido (JPN/Yokohama OSC) claimed back to back events to take the FISTF May Satellite.

The event was held in Minami-Ashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and featured only the Open category.

In the semifinals, Kido narrowly defeated Belgian player Stéphane Lambert (BEL/Yokoahma OSC) in a close 2–1 match. In the other semifinal, Taichi Kato (JPN/Yokohama OSC) faced off against Kenzo Koi (JPN/Yokohama OSC). The first half remained scoreless, but once Taichi struck on a counterattack, the momentum shifted dramatically. He went on to claim a convincing 3–0 victory.

The final between Takafumi and Taichi delivered plenty of drama. Takafumi took an early lead with two goals in the first half, but Taichi showed great determination, clawing back with two goals of his own in the second half to level the match. With no winner emerging in extra time, the match went to a shootout. There, Takafumi held his nerve and secured a 2–0 victory in the shootout.

With this win, Takafumi claimed back-to-back tournament titles, following his triumph last month.

Ryosuke Omichi (JPN/Tokyo Sparkling Shooters) emerged victorious in the Plate Tournament, marking a triumphant debut appearance. With this impressive performance, Ryosuke is expected to make it past the group stage in the next competition.

Minami-Ashigara City is located in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, not far from some of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations, such as Hakone and Odawara.

Until now, the most active clubs in Kanagawa have been based in Yokohama and Yamato, but there are talks of establishing a new club in the upcoming season.

We look forward to seeing the growth and spread of the exciting sport of table football in this area.

Report by JTFA Hideaki Wada 

The Major of Italy – #Macron Cup 2025 ended in #Bologna, with emotions, twists and lots of participants –  a total of 218.

Here are the winners of this extraordinary edition:

 Open Category: Bessim Golger (BEL/Bormla SC)

 Team:  Napoli Fighters (ITA)

 Veteran Category:  Charles Aquilina (MLT/Bormla SC)

 Women Category:  Elodie Bertholet (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer)

 Under16 Category: Robert Farrugia Randon (MLT/H’Attard SC)

 Under12 Category: Nicola Carnino (ITA/Bulldogs Vicenza)
A big thank you to all the athletes, the organizers and the spectators on social media (over 177K during the two days) who made this event truly special .
Additionally, a huge thanks to the organising team for keeping to the schedule for such an event. The Major ended on Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 6:30 PM, with 12 sessions each day!
The event celebrated “three birthdays”.
– 30 Years of uninterrupted Tournament
– 40 years of the Presidency of the club by Riccardo Marinucci
– 50 Years of the club’s Existence

(Thanks to Daniele Caroleo for the graphics of the winners)