On video: Piero’s performance as a basketball player
You don’t have to be a football genius to know that Maccabi Haifa does not have too many advantages, if any, over PSG. Leo Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and the rest of the stars of the French powerhouse are expected to dominate every parameter on the grass tonight (Wednesday) at Sami Ofer, but if we still try to find a certain advantage in favor of Barak Becher, we will put our finger on the physicality of Frantzadi Piero, who is also in front of the defense The Parisian – can be dominant in high balls and in battles for the ball.
- Tonight starting at 19:30 live on 5SPORT: Maccabi Haifa – PSG
Piero (1.94 m) is not the “normal” striker who comes to our provinces. The most valuable player in the history of Maccabi Haifa, who helped make the dream come true with five goals in the Champions League qualifiers, adds a new dimension to the green attack. Piero is almost always the tallest player on the field, he is athletic, strong, and sometimes he just looks like a basketball player who used up the orange ball and decided to focus on football. Well, that’s exactly the story of Frantezdi Piero.
There are people who are born athletes, those who just need a ball, of any color and any shape, and they will already find the way to win. Piero is one such, during high school he managed to combine his two great loves – football and basketball, and last month when he was 27 he entered the hall of fame of his school “Melrose” in both branches. You already know Piero the soccer player, but what about Piero the basketball player? Get ready for surprises.
“Pierro used to draw an insane amount of fans to Melrose’s home games,” the school’s reporter told the “Sports Channel” Jen Gentile, who covered the green giant a decade ago in high school. “That was his hallmark. Little kids would come to the school basketball games to see Frantezdy dunk. He was one of the best basketball players in Massachusetts, the Boston Globe and Boston Herald gave him a place of honor. In the list of the greatest talents in the area and in the 11th grade, he won the title of MVP in his league with averages of 21 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists per game.”
the reporter Brendan Hall who covered the talent from Haiti on ESPNBoston, He recalled: “Fiero was a warrior on the floor. He was considered a forward but he played in every position thanks to his ability to run the court so easily. He teamed up at Melrose with guard Jaylen Adams (he played last year for Hapoel Jerusalem and starred in his youth at Connecticut College).” Adams, by the way, was chosen as the league’s most outstanding player before Piero.
As everywhere, also in the high school league in Massachusetts there was a rivalry between two stars – Frantezdi Piero on the one hand and Bruce Brown, who plays for the Denver Nuggets today, on the other. “Brown was the star of the nearby town of Wakefield and everyone was waiting to see him play against Piero,” Gentile shared. “Watching Brown and Piero play against each other on a small court Friday night was mesmerizing. They took high school basketball to another level.”
Brown had two good seasons in Brooklyn in 2020/21 and 2021/22, including a (short) playoff run last season that included 14 points per game on 57% from the field and 43% from three, before joining Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets this summer.
If you’re asking yourself how big Piero’s potential was as a basketball player, the man who can probably give the best answer is Mike Kaspersky, the player’s coach in high school (2011-2014). In an interview that took him back to the beginning of the previous decade, Kasperzak talked about Piero’s capabilities from his perspective and the unrealized potential.
“Fierro’s first love has always been football, but I believe if he had chosen basketball and focused on it, he would have made it to Division 1 college (the highest level in the United States),” Kasperzak claimed. “He was so invested in football, but if he had announced publicly that he intended to continue playing basketball – he would certainly have received scholarships.”
“Pierro very quickly became a prominent player,” continued his former coach. “He was selected as an All-Star in our league and led us to a 1:22 record season, after a 3:20 season. When he was in 12th grade, we were candidates for the state championship, but Frantzadi broke his wrist and missed the entire season. We needed his leadership and intensity. I well remember these two characteristics in him, along with his smile and love for competition. Piero could influence the game in two moves, he was very smart on and off the pitch, he was admired for his positive attitude.”
“Fiero was a special basketball talent,” Kasperzak added. “Every time we didn’t play well, he would take it to heart and do everything to change the momentum, especially through the defense. Frantezdi was an excellent defender, he led our defensive pressure and he was an excellent finisher. It was fun to see him on the floor, I had a lot of fun coach him. I’ve never coached a player with so much energy and enthusiasm, and I’m sure that’s reflected on the football field.”
“I would compare Piero to Boston star Jaylen Brown at the start of his career, when he entered the NBA and his shooting was not as good as it is today. This version of Brown reminds Piero because both are based on physicality, defense, finishing and energy.” By the way, Brown’s home stadium in the best league in the world, the TD Garden, is a 20-minute drive from Piero’s school.
In conclusion, Kasperzak said: “I still follow Frantezadi and I am aware that he is in Israel. Unfortunately, Israeli football is not covered in the US, but I go online to see what’s up with him and I’m happy that he’s doing well. I want to congratulate Piero for his hard work, amazing attitude and gentlemanly leadership. I am sure that all these characteristics help Maccabi Haifa just like his physical data. I will also congratulate him on his entry into the school’s hall of fame, he is an amazing guy and I am happy that I got to coach him.”
If, contrary to expectations, Piero succeeds in shaking Sami Ofer and finding the back of the net against PSG, he will “pick up the phone” and provide the regular and familiar celebration. In the past, the Maccabi Haifa striker said that the telephone movement is dedicated to all the people who helped him throughout his career, with whom he is still in touch today and always answers their phones. Among them, as you understood, quite a few come from the world of basketball. And without them, we might not have heard of Piero at all.
