Roy Chipolina
A
t the age of
37, and after
a qualifying
campaign that
saw Gibraltar
finish bottom of
their Euro 2020
group, you might expect captain Roy
Chipolina to be calling it quits.
“No way,” says the customs officer who
was born in England but has spent most
of his life on the Rock.
“I want to keep going as long as I can;
as long as they will have me in the team.
I still get an immense amount of joy and
pleasure out of it.”
Chipolina is one of a trio of players
from Gibraltar’s first competitive game –
against Poland at the start of Euro 2016
qualifying – who is still in the team. Fast
approaching 50 caps, he adds: “I went
from being a Sunday league footballer to
international overnight, exposed to some
amazing experiences and opportunities.”
It is not a ride he wants to get off in ahurry, particularly as Gibraltar are looking
increasingly to punch above their weight.
“There are some interesting youngsters
coming through the ranks and one or two
players now getting a chance to play
professionally,” explains Chipolina.
Teenagers Louie Annesley at
Blackburn Rovers and Tjay De Barr,
who this season joined Real Oviedo in
neighbouring Spain, represent the team’s
future aspirations.
But the biggest progress, according to
the skipper, has been the appointment
of Uruguayan coach Julio Cesar Ribas
and the sense of professionalism that
he has brought to a difficult, if not
thankless, task.
“We’ve always had a family
atmosphere around the team,” says
Chipolina, which is not surprising in
a territory where most are related in
some way or the other. “But we’ve more
purpose now and a lot more discipline
to the way we approach the game.”
Ribas made quick progress after
his arrival with two wins in the NationsLeague in 2018, although Chipolina
admits: “It was perhaps disappointing
we didn’t kick on in the Euro 2020
qualifying, but we were in a really tough
group and the quality of opposition was
massively tough.”
Gibraltar still have to deal with
those who question the point of their
participation in European Championship
or World Cup qualifiers as their entire
population of 35,000 would not even
fill a major European club ground.
“We still get that a lot, but you can also
ask what’s the point of clubs participating
in the Premier League or La Liga when itis the same old clubs who effectively
compete for the title every year,”
argues Chipolina. “People might also
ask what is the value of a match where
you lose by seven or eight goals, but then
Manchester City beat Watford by a similar
score this season and so did Leicester
against Southampton and they are
not questioned.
“We don’t go into a match anticipating
getting thrashed.
“Of course we are realistic, but we try
very hard to work on our concentration
and not to make mistakes. That’s one
thing I’ve learnt at this level: every littleThe captain of Gibraltar eyes another qualifying campaign
Headliners
Leading by example
...Gibraltar’s skipper“We don’t go into a match
anticipating getting thrashed.
Of course we are realistic, but
we try very hard to work on
our concentration and not to
make mistakes”