2023: Galicia taste home Regions' Cup success

After the absence of the UEFA Regions' Cup in 2020/21 due to COVID, the amateur competition returned in 2022/23 and ended with Galicia lifting the trophy as hosts.

Some familiar names qualified: holders Dolnośląski, 2019 runners-up Bavaria, past bronze-medallists Belgrade and Zlín (also past of Central Moravia, winners in 2011), plus Republic of Ireland Amateur, who in various guises had been 2015 champions and finalists two years later. Lisboa had also previously qualified, and while it might have been first appearances for Galicia and Zenica-Doboj, several other Spanish and Bosnian regions had been in past tournaments.

Galicia were selected to host, and came through Group A unblemished, beating Ireland 2-0, Zenica-Doboj 2-1 and, needing victory to pip Bavaria, defeating the 2019 hosts 1-0 in front of more than 2,000 fans in Villagarcía de Arosa. Ireland ended the group in third on goal difference after a last-gasp equaliser against Zenica-Doboj.

In Group B, Dolnośląski's title defence was over after two games, 1-0 defeats by Lisboa and Belgrade. Zlín had drawn with Belgrade and beaten Lisboa to lead the section with a game to go, but drew 0-0 with Dolnośląski to allow the Serbian side – who had trailed the Czech representatives on disciplinary points – to top the group with a 2-1 defeat of the Portuguese representatives.

Zlín, like Bavaria, had to settle for bronze while Belgrade were the first Serbain side to make the final. However, nine minutes into the Villagarcía de Arosa decider, Félix Rial put Galicia ahead and late in the first half Belgrade had Željko Krstović sent off for his second booking, a handball in the box conceding a penalty converted by Álex Rey.

Belgrade, despite the one-man deficit, rallied after the break and pulled one back. However, Iñaki Martínez – who had scored Galicia's first finals goal against Ireland – then made it 3-1 and the hosts could have added more in front of a delighted finals record crowd of 4,085.

Rey ended one short of finals top scorer Julian Kania of Bavaria, who in their opening match against Zenica-Doboj got the first Regions' Cup finals hat-trick since Eastern Region Northern Ireland's Paul Maguire against Qaraçala in 2013. However, Rey had a winner's medal along with his team, the record third different Spanish region to triumph and the sixth hosts to claim the title in the 12 editions.