“Spiagge d’Abruzzo Cup,” the international youth soccer tournament, returns April 25-28 with its 26th edition.
This edition will see the participation of 92 teams of children aged 7 to 13 that will be divided into different categories: First Kicks (28 teams); Chicks (32 teams) and Rookies (32 teams).
Teams will come from different regions (Lazio and Campania the most involved but also Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Marche, Molise, and Puglia) and there will be four foreign teams involved: one from Belgium (coming from La Louviere city twinned with Roseto), one from Croatia (the team from Makarska also twinned with our city) and finally, after last year’s wonderful experience, two teams will come from the battered Ukraine.
The 230 scheduled matches (35 referees and the more than 100 staff involved) will take place mainly on the historic Patrizi Field but will also be played at Fonte dell’Olmo Stadium, the Cologna Spiaggia field and the Scerne di Pineto field.
Expected to be a big movement not only in sports but also under the aspect of tourism since, in addition to the approximately one thousand five hundred young players involved, a large number of parents are expected to be present who will want to follow the sporting events of their boys. There will in fact be 7,000 attendees tied directly to the organization of the event, but at least 20 percent more are expected from the “do-it-yourself” side, who will rely independently on the area’s agritourism and B&B facilities. So they estimate at least 8,500 admissions to hotels in Roseto but also Giulianova and Pineto.
It will start tomorrow, Thursday, April 25, with the traditional parade and presentation of the teams at 6 p.m. at the Fonte dell’Olmo Stadium. As always, Maria Rita Piersanti and Ilario Lorusso will introduce the young teams. This will be followed by the start of the competitions, which will end on the morning of April 28. At the end, at Patrizi Field, all participants will be awarded with a souvenir medal of “Beaches of Abruzzo Cup” and each team with a cup. The Fair play award provided by the City of Roseto will also be presented on the occasion, as per tradition.
