Bavaria's Kania ends as Regions' Cup top scorer

Julian Kania ended as UEFA Regions' Cup finals top scorer on four goals, the second straight Bavaria player to achieve that honour.

In the last final tournament four years ago, Arif Erkin led the way with three for then hosts and runners-up Bavaria. This time the German representatives had to make do with bronze as group runners-up but Kania outscored Erkin, and all his 2023 rivals, having been called up due to his prolific form for club Schwaben Augsburg.

In Bavaria's opener against Zenica-Doboj, Kania got the first Regions' Cup finals hat-trick since Paul Maguire for Eastern Region Northern Ireland against Qaraçala in 2013. Kania added another in the defeat of Republic of Ireland Amateur, but was unable to find a way through in the 1-0 loss to hosts Galicia which ended Bavaria's title hopes. Álex Rey got his third of the finals for Galicia in their 3-1 win in the decider against Belgrade to end within a goal of Kania.

For the season as a whole, Siarhei Lizunou of Belarusian team "Kolos" Cherven was top scorer on seven, two clear of Álex Rey. Key to that were consecutive hat-tricks in the preliminary round tournament last June against Jabrayil and Kaskelen, plus another in the intermediate round against Kayseri.

Top scorers (finals)

4 Julian Kania (GER: Bavaria)
3 Álex Rey (ESP: Galicia)
2 Marko Gavrilović (SRB: Belgrade)
2 Iñaki Martínez (ESP: Galicia)
2 Jannis Sauer (GER: Bavaria)

Top scorers (including qualifying)

7 Siarhei Lizunou (BLR: "Kolos" Cherven)
5 Álex Rey (ESP: Galicia)
4 Marko Gavrilović (SRB: Belgrade)
4 Julian Kania (GER: Bavaria)
4 Mikhail Karatkevich (BLR: "Kolos" Cherven)
4 Agegnegnew Salilih (ISR: Hapoel Bikat Hayarden)
4 Rhys Williams (WAL: Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru)

Roll of honour

Željko Štulec of Zagreb has twice as many career goals as any other player in the Regions' CupSPORTSFILE

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); 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

The 2020/21 edition was cancelled due to COVID.

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)

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, Region 1, Leinster & Munster)