Section: “Amateur Football Chronicles”
Heroes: Auckland City captain Nikko Boxall and head coach José Figueira
0–16 Hurts, but You Can't Imagine How Sweet It Is to Remember Standing Against Bayern
Journalist: Nikko, the December Club World Cup ended for you with dizzying 0–10 and 0–6 scorelines. How does the team feel when the scoreboard shows such numbers?
Nikko Boxall: First – a deafening silence. Then the thought comes: "Hey, we just played against legends of world football!" For five minutes you’re crushed, and then pride takes over. We’re amateurs; we lace up our boots right after the office. The chance to face Bayern is worth more than any score.
Journalist: José, how do you explain 0–16 to amateur players?
José Figueira: I told the guys: a defeat is data for an update, not a verdict. We mined a comma of details from every goal – how many centimetres we left unclosed, at which second we failed to squeeze the flank. Victories are built on material like that.
150 Dollars a Week? For Petrol and a New Pair of Boots
Journalist: Rumour has it your “salary” is 150 New Zealand dollars a week. Is that true?
Nikko: Yes, that’s exactly what we get. We honestly call it “expense reimbursement.” Petrol in Auckland is pricey and studs wear down fast. But in the dressing room you don’t feel poorer than a Benfica guy – we just have a different economy of passion.
From 8:00 to 17:00 – Reports, and at 18:30 – High Press
Journalist: Describe a typical day.
Nikko: Alarm at 6:30, shower, suit, coffee to go. From 8:00 to 17:00 I sell commercial real estate. At 17:15 it’s traffic – audiobooks on defensive tactics make the ride bearable. At 18:30 it’s boot-lacing time, a ninety-minute session where José trims all the “literature” and hits play on the drills. Three or four such evenings a week, plus pre-match warm-ups in the morning.
A Goal Cancelled by Tails. Yes, That Happens to Us Too
Journalist: Tell us about the famous dog incident.
José: New Zealand league matches are on municipal pitches with no stewards. We built a perfect wing attack, Nikko finished, the ball hit the net… and two dogs burst onto the grass playing fetch. The referee shrugged: “Interference.” Goal disallowed. In Europe it would be the meme of the decade; for us it’s just a Saturday flourish to the barbecue-by-the-touchline vibe.
Two or Three Pros in the Dressing Room, the Rest Are Enthusiasts
Journalist: Who shares the dressing room with you?
Nikko: A couple of guys with A-League experience, a few former university players, and some pure street talents. For the youngsters it’s a shop window to Asia or Australia; for the older ones it’s a social magnet. We’re different, yet every “Good morning” at training sounds like an oath: "Today we get a bit closer to pro."
Deal of the Day and Tackle of the Evening
Journalist: Nikko, how do you juggle hot auctions and matches?
Nikko: Flexible hours save me. If a deal is on fire, I train individually. When the market calms down, I go all in, as if I have to mark Lewandowski one-on-one. Maybe that’s why I got hundreds of messages of support after Saudi Arabia.
A Message From Brazil That Means More Than a Win
Journalist: Was there anything special among those messages?
Nikko: A boy from Brazil wrote: "I realised you don’t have to fear big teams if you love the game." That alone makes it worth playing even the most hopeless matches.
Tomorrow – the Office Again, and in the Evening – Floodlights
Journalist: What are Auckland City’s plans?
José: We’re top of the national league. We’re building a small stand so dogs no longer decide goals. We dream of returning to the Club World Cup not for medals but for the experience.
Nikko: Banks don’t cancel loans, so in the morning we’ll be hitting “reply all” in business emails again. But in the evening the floodlights will erase the line between amateur and pro, and the score won’t matter as much if respect grows with every minute on the pitch.
Journalist: Thank you for your candour. It seems your main trophy is the ability to turn office-worker routines into a story that inspires the world.
Nikko (smiling): Our best match is still ahead of us.