The Regions Tournament celebrates “the heart of football” for the 60th time with the Under 19, Under 17, Under 15 and Women’s categories brought together in a single great event which will be staged in Liguria from 23 to 29 March with the patronage of Liguria Region and the Municipality of Genoa protagonist as European Capital of Sport 2024.
The Regional Committees of the National Amateur League will meet together to experience a moment of discussion and sharing on the occasion of an event which since 1959 has changed the formula and introduced new age groups while maintaining its usual charm intact. Since 2016, the current format has been consolidated with two separate events dedicated to football and futsal with all four categories represented.
Liguria is organizing the Regions Tournament for the first time with the current formula, thirty-nine years after the last time with the original format.
THE NUMBERS – It will be an impressive tournament that will involve over 1900 people including athletes, managers, technicians and referees. There will be 78 teams competing for the four trophies in Liguria.
These are the impressive numbers that only the Regions Tournament can show off. There are 142 matches scheduled and they will be played on fifteen fields in two provinces of Liguria, Genoa and Savona. The fields: “S. Ferrando” – Alassio (SV), “M. Polo” – Andora (SV), “A. Daneri” – Loc. Caperana, Chiavari (GE), “Comunale” – Cogorno (GE), “F. Merlo” – Ceriale (SV), “G. De Vincenzi” – Pietra Ligure (SV), “HC Andersen” – Sestri Levante (GE), “E. Riboli” – Lavagna (GE), “San Rocco” – Recco (GE), “GB Ferrando” – Genoa, “Begato 9” – Genoa, “Tre Campanili” – Bogliasco (GE), “25 Aprile” – Genoa, “ Ligorna” – Genoa. All four finals will be played in the futuristic “Sciorba Stadium” in Genoa.
The Regions Tournament will also have an important impact from the point of view of sports tourism with the 78 representatives who will stay in fourteen accommodation facilities in Genoa, Marina di Andora (Sv), Lavagna (Ge), Loano (Sv), Sestri Levante (Ge ), Pietra Ligure (Sv), Alassio (Sv) and Chiavari (Ge).
The Regions Tournament is first of all a moment of aggregation, of comparison between all the regional realities of the National Amateur League, the national festival of youth football, an experience of pure sport. A competition that goes beyond human and social values to embrace healthy competitiveness, to enhance the technical qualities of the protagonists, a showcase for young prospects. This last aspect, known by professionals, is less known to the mainstream media. Yet sixty years the TDR is like a karst river which, from the amateur source, crosses all of Italian football to suddenly emerge in professionalism. There are many players and just as many players who participated in the Regions Tournament and then landed in the world of professionalism. It would be impossible to mention them all, we stopped at the most iconic examples. A dedication to those who believe in dreams, in unconventional football paths. Here is a series of examples for all the kids who will participate in the Regions Tournament.
National team and Paris Saint Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is probably the most striking example. The goalkeeper broke all the precociousness records in Serie A and in the national team without having followed the entire youth career of a renowned club. For those who find it hard to believe, one fact is enough: in 2013 Gianluigi defended the goal of the Campania Youth Representative.
Going back in time, Simone Zaza, Leonardo Pavoletti, Francesco Acerbi and Gianluca Lapadula also passed through the TDR.
At the 2017 Regional Tournament, Lorenzo Lucca and Alessandro Bianco were the protagonists in the Allievi and Giovanissimi Representatives. Also in 2017 Walid Cheddira showed off with the Marche Representative. In 2016 the Giovanissimi Lombardia won the title with Nicolò Rovella and Gabriele Zappa while Giacomo Quagliata made the difference with the Sicilia shirt. In 2015 and 2014 Gianluca Frabotta and Michael Folorunsho wore the Allievi del Lazio shirt.
In the 2010 and 2011 editions they were noticed Manuel Lazzari and Mattia Finotto (Veneto), Luigi Canotto (Calabria), Kevin Lasagna (Lombardy) and Francesco Forte (Lazio).
Going further back in time, between 2003 and 2005 and in the decade of the 90s from the TDR they took off Francesco CaputoLuigi Cossu, Fabio Bazzani, Emanuele GiaccheriniMoreno Torricelli e Gianfranco Zola.
2024-03-22 23:00:00
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