Over 1,800 children took part in the winter edition of the Sofia Cup children’s football tournament

The Sofia Cup is the biggest children’s tournament in the country. Over the past six years, with its perfect organisation and high level of competition, it has established itself as one of the strongest contests for young footballers. “The Battle for Sofia” unites the best academies in Bulgaria. More than 1,800 children took part in the winter edition from 18 to 21 February; the tournament featured 112 teams from seven age groups, from 2008 to 2014. Over four days 224 matches were played, and the future talents showed their qualities, experienced plenty of emotion and took part in memorable contests. This year’s competition was held under the slogan “Back to Football”, with the organisation fully in line with the anti-epidemic measures in Bulgaria. This edition too is under the “UEFA RESPECT” initiative; the organisers’ main aim is for the participants to follow the rules of fair play, and their mission is not only to build football talents but also to teach young people to be good people off the pitch. The tournament was again hosted by the most modern sports facilities in Sofia - the Vasil Levski National Stadium, the Tsarsko Selo complex, the DIT complex, the National Sports Academy and others. The best artificial pitches for the winter were chosen so that the organisers could be sure the conditions would be of a high standard. Following tradition, this edition of the Sofia Cup was held under the auspices of the Bulgarian Football Union and Sofia Municipality.