This tournament had everything that makes football so special. Celebrations, passion, disappointment – everything’s so close together in 50 minutes, as the final showed: FC Porto, who had consistently impressed with their verve and finishing skills for three days, lost their ease. They lacked luck in decisive moments and were without a chance against Paris, but they showed their fighting spirit and commitment until the end. The team from the French capital displayed fine technique, good interplay and ruthless efficiency. They went on to win 3-0 and hoisted the trophy into the Bavarian sky on Sunday afternoon.
Europe’s talents at the FC Bayern Campus
At the U15 Elite Cup at the FC Bayern Campus, talents of all eight clubs showed why they are among the top talents of their age group. From the first minute, young talents showed their hunger for the ball and for victory. Every challenge, every sliding tackle, every touch was packed with intensity. Every game was shaped by intense duels, clever moves and spectacular goals. It was a weekend full of emotion, passion and high-class football – a showcase for the pros of tomorrow.
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The weather too showed all its facets – from driving rain to bright sunshine. Even the wet and cold start didn’t dampen the thrilling encounters. The hard-fought opening match between FC Bayern and Chelsea ended in a 2-2 draw, whereas Paris Saint-Germain beat Galatasaray 4-1 to lay down a marker. The group stage was full of excitement. Porto beat Inter 2-1, Real Sociedad claimed a 1-0 victory over Liverpool and PSG downed Chelsea 1-0 – almost every game was decided by a single goal. Every mistake, every turnover could have resulted in victory or defeat. But verve and fighting spirit rather than nervousness shaped the tournament. There were intense challenges and sumptuous interplay, rewarded with enthusiastic applause from the crowds.
Franck Ribéry was at the Campus every day and closely followed the games. The club legend saw the FC Bayern U15s go toe-to-toe with the European top teams. Coach Can Ünal’s team mostly lacked luck against PSG, Galatasaray and Chelsea in the group stage. FCB took two points and finished third of their group before being eliminated in the quarter-finals, a 3-1 defeat to Inter Milan. “When we compete, we want to win – that’s in our DNA. We didn’t achieve that,” said the head coach: “That’s why none of us is satisfied.” But Munich were a unit and displayed unconditional commitment, which probably is the more important insight. His team showed extreme energy, so a certain pride and anticipation for the upcoming weeks prevailed despite the elimination, according to Ünal.
The tournament helped his players on a personal level too. “They’ve matured in terms of character,” said the coach. It is not a matter of course to deal with setbacks and deficits so well at this age: “The boys definitely managed to do that.” The players’ reaction in their last two matches on Sunday was particularly impressive. They showed morale and willpower to come from behind and beat Chelsea 4-2 before downing Galatasaray 3-0 in the game for fifth place – a conciliatory conclusion to a weekend full of ups and downs.
Commemorating Diogo Jota & André Silva
A moving moment came on Saturday. Porto and Liverpool paid tribute to the late brothers Diogo Jota and André Silva. Both had played for the Portuguese side before Diogo joined Liverpool. The players and spectators commemorated the two brothers with a joint photo and respectful applause – an impressive moment that showed once again that solidarity, respect and appreciation in sport extend far beyond the actual games.
The teams once again gave it their all from the first to the last minute on Sunday. One example was the semi-final clash between PSG and Real Sociedad. The Frenchmen got an added-time winner to beat the Spaniards 2-1 and advance to the final. The Blues too turned in a passionate display. They conceded an early goal but fought and turned things around in the closing stages to beat Liverpool in the game for seventh place. The big final between PSG an Porto was the last highlight that had everything which made the U15 Elite Cup so special: intense duels, fine technique and a lot of emotions until the end. It was an all-round successful tournament that showcased the young talents in all their zest and passion.
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