What is the UEFA Regions' Cup?
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
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The UEFA Regions' Cup, is a unique amateur competition with ten different winners in its previous 12 editions.
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The UEFA Regions' Cup is a unique amateur tournament that has been running for more than 20 years.
What is the UEFA Regions' Cup?
The UEFA Regions' Cup is a competition for players who have never featured at any professional level. Contested by the winners of national amateur tournaments – with the smallest countries fielding national amateur teams – it is a showcase for the wealth of talent that exists under the radar in European football.
It is held every other season with the current edition running from this summer until next summer. Hosts Galicia won the last finals in 2023. Over the first 12 editions 26 different nations produced final tournament contenders, a number that will increase in 2025 to 28 as Finland's Länsi-Vantaan Ylpeys and San Marino's national amateur team qualified. San Marino will host the 2025 finals.
Italian and Spanish sides have each won three of the 12 editions (Veneto of Italy and Dolnośląski Region of Poland the only multiple champions). Six editions have been won by the hosts (indicated*).
- 2022/23: Galicia (ESP)*
- 2020/21: edition cancelled
- 2018/19: Dolnośląski Region (POL)
- 2016/17: Zagreb (CRO)
- 2014/15: Eastern Region (IRL)*
- 2012/13: Veneto (ITA)*
- 2010/11: Braga (POR)*
- 2008/09: Castilla y León (ESP)
- 2006/07: Dolnośląski Region (POL)
- 2004/05: Basque Country (ESP)
- 2002/03: C. R. Piemonte Valle d'Aosta (ITA)
- 2000/01: Moravia (CZE)*
- 1999: Veneto (ITA)*
Hall of fame
Players withRegion the most UEFA Regions' Cup appearances (including qualifying)
28: Ken Hoey (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region, Region 2)
28: Brendan O'Connell (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region)
27: Jimmy Carr (IRL: Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region, Region 2, Republic of Ireland Amateur, Munster FA)
27: Ray Whelehan (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster)
Players with the most UEFA Regions' Cup finals appearances
15: Ken Hoey (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region, Region 2)
13: Brendan O'Connell (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region)
11: Nikica Brujić (CRO: Zagreb)
11: Jimmy Carr (IRL: Eastern Region, Region 2, Republic of Ireland Amateur)
Players with the most UEFA Regions' Cup final appearances
3= Ken Hoey (IRL: Region 1, Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region)
3= Brendan O'Connell (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster, Eastern Region)
Players with the most UEFA Regions' Cup goals (including qualifying)
18: Željko Štulec (CRO: Zagreb)
9= Serhiy Chudak (UKR: Kahovka-Kzeso)
9= Javier Moreno (ESP: Madrid)
9= Aretas Gėgžna (LTU: Nevézis)
9= Zoltán Varga (HUN: Szabolcs Gabona Csoport)
9= James Walsh (IRL: Republic of Ireland Amateur, Region 1, Leinster & Munster)
Players with the most UEFA Regions' Cup finals goals
6: Zoltán Varga (HUN: Szabolcs Gabona Csoport)
5= Gabriel David (CZE: Central Moravia)
5= Roberto Puente (ESP: Castilla y León)
Titles by nation
3: Italy, Spain
2: Poland
1: Croatia, Czechia, Portugal, Republic of Ireland
Final appearances by nation
5: Spain
3: Italy, Republic of Ireland
2: Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Portugal
1: Czechia, France, Germany, Romania, Serbia
Medals (including bronze as group runners-up) per nation
7: Spain
4: Czechia, Germany
3: Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Türkiye
2: Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine
1: Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Romania, Slovakia
Final tournament appearances per nation (*inc 2025)
10: Spain*
9: Czechia*
7: Poland*, Repubic of Ireland
5: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia*, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine
4: Bulgaria, Serbia*, Türkiye
3: France, Italy, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Switzerland*
2: Azerbaijan, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania
1: Belarus, Belgium, Finland*, Georgia, Israel, San Marino*
Finals top scorers
2023: Julian Kania (GER: Bavaria) 4
2019: Arif Ekin (GER: Bavaria) 3
2017: Roberto Puente (ESP: Castilla y León) 4
2015: Salim Uzun (TUR: Ankara) 4
2013: Franco Ballarini (ITA: Veneto) 4
2011: José Ferreira (POR: Braga) 3
2009: Aleksandr Gorbunov (RUS: Privolzhie) 4
2007: Admir Hanić (BIH: Tuzla Canton); Szymon Jaskułowski (POL: Dolnośląski Region); Javier Santos (POR: Aveiro) 2
2005: Ivan Todorov (BUL: South-West Sofia) 4
2003: Zoltán Varga (HUN: Szabolcs Gabona Csoport) 6
2001: Gabriel David (CZE: Central Moravia) 5
1999: Alain Borriero (ITA: Veneto); Javier Moreno (ESP: Madrid) 3
Season top scorers including qualifiers
2022/23: Siarhei Lizunou (BLR: "Kolos" Cherven) 7
2018/19: Aretas Gėgžna (LTU: Nevézis) 7
2016/17: Željko Štulec (CRO: Zagreb) 8
2014/15: Arjan Rexhepi (CRO: Zagreb), Richard Thompson (NIR: Eastern Region) 6
2012/13: Imre Domokos (HUN: Keleti Régió) 7
2010/11: Fatih Deniz (TUR: Ankara), Sergey Lednev (RUS: South Region) 6
2008/09: Ilya Bolshakov (RUS: Privolzhie), Aleksandr Gorbunov (RUS: Privolzhie), Dean Kelly (IRL: Region 1), Antonio Ramírez (ESP: Castilla y León), Ray Whelehan (IRL: Region 1) 4
2006/07: George Mavroudis (GRE: Eastern Attica) 5
2004/05: Serhiy Chudak (UKR: Kahovka-Kzeso) 9
2002/03: Zoltán Varga (HUN: Szabolcs Gabona Csoport) 9
2000/01: Javier Moreno (ESP: Madrid), Todor Radomirov (BUL: Plovdiv) 6
1999: Avraham Ben-Ezra (ISR: Israel Amateur) 6