Gibraltar u19s faced defeat as Chipolina announced his departure from the field on the same day

Gibraltar U19 0
Turkey U19 7

The Gibraltar U19 started their group matches on Wednesday in Poland against Turkey in what was a steep learning curve.
Similar to the u21s the U19s were missing key players such as James Scanlon, Liam Jessop, Nicolas Pozo and Jaiden Bartolo, all eligible still to play for the Under 18s but having received a call up for the senior squad that faces San Marino this Thursday.
Under the grey skies of Poland, with the rain pouring down the match was physically challenging from the start. Gibraltar applied high pressure early on and made some headway, but this was not to last long.

Scott Wiseman, the U19 selector and expected to take over the U21s after the departure of David Ochello, saw his side tested to the full.

Turkey came close from a corner, but it was well blocked before an infringement was given after just 8 minutes. Gibraltar took it to the other end, showing they were not there just to make up the numbers.

Thirteen minutes in, from a free kick, Turkey opened the scoring. The ball deflected off the wall, and with Gibraltar failing to clear, a key Turkish player got in behind the defenders to score the first goal. Turkey, dominating play and forcing Gibraltar back, added a second just before the half-hour mark. Defensive errors in clearing allowed Turkey to play into the goalmouth and divert the ball past the keeper.

By half-time, Gibraltar was 3-0 down after a late first-half goal, facing an uphill struggle.

The second half started disastrously. A goal within the first minute was followed by another just minutes later. Within the first nine minutes of the second half, Gibraltar had already conceded six goals. They conceded one more before the full ninety minutes, finishing with a 7-0 defeat.

The Gibraltar U19s got a harsh taste of the quality they faced in the U19 competition.

It was a poignant day for Gibraltar as a whole as the importance of emerging talents was underlined with the announcement of Roy Chipolina’s retirement.
The decision by the now legendary Gibraltar player who captained Gibraltar to memorial moments during their first decade in international football now sets the tone for what is becoming a transitional change for the team.
Captain Fantastic posted his own departure message. Mr Chipolina, who is a Customs officer has during the past ten years become one of the images of Gibraltar football. He led the team on and off the field inspiring many young players with his leadership, determination and humble approach to the game. A vocal defender of players recently after criticism of the players even as a central defender his goals marked some historic moments for bit. Club and country.
More on this story at a later day.