Arsenal kick off their Ferroli Cup campaign against AC Milan this evening, in the opening days show piece game. The tournament, in its 22nd year, is one of the most prestigious in youth football.
The club have been sending a team to compete in Verona since 2006, where a penalty shoot out loss in the final to Atalanta denied the Gunners a dream debut. However, they returned in 2008 and won the cup on spot kicks against Juventus, with trialist goalkeeper Sean McDermott saving and then scoring the winner.
The result saw Arsenal crowned as the first foreign team to win the trophy. It wasn’t the only prize picked up though; Jack Wilshere was named Player of the Tournament, and Luke Freeman claimed the top scorer prize.
After a number of group stage knock outs, Arsenal have sent one of their best squads in recent years, and are favourites to re-take the cup from last years winners Inter Milan. Ahead of the kick off, Young Guns caught up with the Ferroli Cup’s Head Press Officer Alessandro De Pietro.
Alessandro began by explaining the origins of the competition.
“The Ferroli Cup was founded in 1990 and in the first edition was dedicated to the Under 13 category and then moved to the current Under 15. The event was planned by the famous Ferroli Group, a world leader in the heating, air conditioning, whirlpool bath and heated towel rails in collaboration with A.C. Sambonifacese, a club who plays in the fourth level of Italian football. After the first editions, the tournament added more and higher quality teams, with the participation of the best Italian clubs first and then with the presence of many foreign clubs from Europe.”
He then went on to explain the process of selecting and inviting Arsenal, and their history of taking part.
“Arsenal took part in the Ferroli Cup for the first time in 2006, when they reached the final, but lost on penalties against Atalanta. Wojciech Szczęsny was the goalkeeper, on trial. After the tournament, Arsenal decided to sign him. Szczęsny was awarded as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.”
“Arsenal immediately accepted the invitation at the Cup Ferroli, convinced by the quality of participating teams and of the organization. Liam Brady has also visited Verona, and the tournament organiser Ettore Paolini often gets invited to London to watch some Arsenal matches in the Premier League. Arsenal, among other things, was the first foreign club to win the Ferroli Cup in 2008.”
The likes of Szczęsny and Wilshere are the most recent names to have starred at the Ferroli Cup, but Rafael van der Vaart, Johnny Heitinga, Fabio Quagliarella, Daniele De Rossi, Giampaolo Pazzini and Riccardo Montolivo are just a few of those who used the competition to cut their teeth, but apart from finding new players, what else can Arsenal learn?
“Arsenal took to the Ferroli Cup with a bold new tone and enthusiasm. They understand youth culture and fair play. It was very good for Arsenal to face and adapt to Italian football at youth level that only look at results and not the quality of the game. Liam Brady has always argued that at the Ferroli Cup his boys have found the right opportunity to grow and have a very severe and constructive test rather than facing others teams in English football.”
Kick off against AC Milan is at 8pm UK time, with further games against Aspire Academy and A.C. Sambonifacese to follow. You can keep up to date with the news and scores via our Twitter feed.
Top Quality stuff Jamie, keep it up mate
Does anyone have a squad list?
The Ferroli Cup website published a squad list, but it’s we’ve added new players since. I’ll see if I can get hold of a full squad list and I’ll write it in the comment section here.
i suppose this is not going to be streamed? anyway, you say this is one of the best squads we’ve taken, anyone in particular to look out for?
Any of streaming on PC tonight?
Js we never seem to produce goalkeepers. Are there any good ones coming through?
Chesney? And according to David Seaman and Bob Wilson James Shea improves all the time and he takes stuff on board and adds it to his game whenever given advice…..I just hope Almunia hasnt given him any advice lol
Chuba Akpom, Julian Banton, Alexander Iwobi, Jack Jebb, Frankie Kent, Remell Lake, Joel Laugenie, Austin Lipman, Tariq Moore-Azille, Alfred Mugabo, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, Mahlon Romeo, Obasiarinse Uade, Joshua Vickers, Jordan Brown, Joel Kanga Basima, Dieudonne Longalonga, Isaac Hayden. This was the original list but a few others have been added such as Mbabu and Olsson
Just realized how unfamiliar I am with the U-15s.
Does anyone know the latest on Toral? Or Serge Gnabry?
Are man city in it?
Chance to brush up on your Italian:
http://www.trofeosanbonifacio.com/news/blitz-dell-arsenal-2-0-al-milan~58.html
Anybody know the players, ok, in first row fourth from left is Siemann, and keeper is Vickers, but don’t know anyone else?
And third from left in front row is Olsson
Ok, little research, second from left in back row is Jebb and sixth Lipman, but help me with others
And first in back row is trialist Mbabu
I hope Dieudonne Longalonga makes it, that is a hell of the name!
It ‘s a veritable blitz, the success of Arsenal to AC Milan. The highly anticipated match, contrary to expectations, sluggish, living on the tracks of an absolute balance until the end of the first fraction. A single leap of 10 ‘when Vickers is surpassed in a double action on the findings of De Rosa launched a network. In the second half repeats the usual script, but the Arsenal to take the result with two fires at the end of the race: the advantage to the Lipman Signature 18 ‘, a little later, at 24’ is Akpom to repeat the scoring. 1:00 to 2:00 the sudden cuts in fact the legs to the Rossoneri’s training that he can not straighten the fate of the match in the remaining remnants of the race, ending 0 to 2
England U-16’s Lipman and Akpom with the goals then.
Rough translation of the game …highly anticipated game ended being a sluggish affair with Arsenal getting two late goals in the latter stages of the match .
Team played well 2 grat saves from Vickers and goals from Lipman & Akpom 3lads to look out for in the future.