“All my friends are for Bruges, but my heart still beats for Fiorentina”says Gillekens, originally from Huldenberg, in Flemish Brabant. “My adventure there was short but unforgettable. What struck me the most is that fans are much more passionate about football than in Belgium. Our matches were broadcast live on TV, I was recognized in town, we played the Cup final in front of 6,000 people…”
But how does a kid land at Fiorentina at the age of 18 at a time when he has only played two games in D2 with the OHL A team? Gillekens: “I suppose my U17 national team matches had a lot to do with it. We notably lost 0-1 against Italy, in a match where Loïs Openda missed the 1-0 at the end of the match after a face-to-face with the goalkeeper. My direct opponent was Moise Kean from Juventus (Editor's note: transferred for 32 million to Everton in 2019 before returning) and he hadn't done much in that match. The coach of Italy – Emiliano Bigica – became my coach at Fiorentina. My agent Axel Vergeylen had to negotiate day and night for two months with OHL to find a solution. I wanted to try this adventure.”
We beat Inter Milan, this season's reigning champion, four times.
Gillekens – his brother Nick is a goalkeeper in Westerlo – did not regret his choice. He won the Coppa Primavera in the final against Torino, and he beat all the big clubs. “We won four times against Inter, who were champions the previous year. We also beat AS Roma, we beat Juventus and Naples. Fiorentina is in the top 5 of the best youth schools in Italy. I learned a lot defensively. During training, we sometimes had to move as a group for an hour, without a ball. So that our positional play is perfect.”
The biggest name he encountered in Espoirs was Dusan Vlahovic, called a traitor by Fiorentina supporters when he left for Juve in January 2022. Vlahovic had scored 49 goals for Fiorentina. In the meantime, he scored 40 for Juve. “He was already training with the A team but asked to play matches with us from January 2019. He was already scoring with his eyes closed. He always wanted the ball and would clash with defenders, a mental battle that he always ended up winning. Even in training, he was a pest to deal with. But off the field, he was a cream. He paid for a restaurant for the Espoir team. And I remember a visit to the hairdresser, where he was before me. When he left he paid for both of us. I got along well with him. I sent him a few messages and he replied, like after his transfer. But in the meantime, we lost touch.”
Gillekens also trained with the A team, coached by Stefano Pioli, the current coach of AC Milan. “There, my best known teammates were Veretout (Editor’s note: currently at OM)Chiesa (currently at Juve) and Mirallas. No, Kevin didn't worry too much about me, but I don't blame him. He had to think about his own career. Chiesa was very nice. He was lightning fast.”
Jordy's Italian adventure only lasted one season. “I signed for one year with four years of option. But in 2019 the club was bought by Americans and none of the players with an option were able to stay. I regret. My career could have taken a completely different direction. If I hadn’t broken through at Fiorentina, I could have played in Serie C or B…”
