I’m back: Sebastian Avanzini (above and bottom) celebrates his goal with his teammates. — Photo by Negri Sembilan FC
PETALING JAYA: Sebastian Avanzini last played competitive football in December last year, so one might expect some rustiness in his return to action after 10 months.
However, the Italian defensive midfielder quickly proved his worth to Negri Sembilan, delivering an impressive performance in their 2-2 draw with Penang in the Super League at the City Stadium in Georgetown on Sunday.
The 29-year-old ensured that Negri left Penang with a valuable point, scoring a stunning 30m strike in the dying minutes of the first half to silence the home crowd.
Negri took the lead as early as the first minute when Penang wingback Aqil Irfanuddin Sabri accidentally scored an own goal.
However, the home side responded with two quick goals from their foreign strikers – Brazilian Rodrigo Dias found the net in the 14th minute, followed by Australian Dylan Wenzel-Halls, who scored his first goal for the club in the 16th minute.
But Avanzini’s thunderous strike halted Penang’s hopes of securing three points.
Avanzini, who played 32 games in all competitions for Kuala Lumpur last year, admitted that while he felt some early nerves after such a long absence, he was confident in his abilities and fitness.
“There was a little bit of rust, as expected after being out for so long. But most importantly, we got a good result. I felt I had a strong game,” said Avanzini, who joined Negri on Sept 20.
“I’m fit and strong, even after being away from Malaysia for almost a year.
“As for the goal, I honestly didn’t overthink it. I’m sure a lot of people thought it wasn’t a great idea – even the coach (K. Nanthakumar) was surprised! I got a message from my old coach, Bojan Hodak, who said, ‘Wow, you never did this in Kuala Lumpur.’
“But it felt amazing. Of course, three points would have made it even better, but I’m happy with the team and the coaches. They’ve put a lot of trust in me, and I’m glad I could repay them with that performance.”
Avanzini said he chose to return to Malaysia because he saw Negri as a team with growth potential, aiming for a mid-table finish this season. Currently sitting 12th in the league with five points, he believes they can turn things around.
“There are a lot of young players here, so I hope my experience with the City Boys can be a reference point for them as we grow together.
“And this is hopefully not just a short-term agreement as I want to build something meaningful with this club.” he added.
