After three successful years, the «International Pulcino d’Oro Tournament of Levico Terme» returns in 2018 from Thursday 14 June to Sunday 17 June with its fourth edition featuring the best of youth football.
It’s a strong testament that Juventus, who have been the protagonists of the first two editions of the tournament, open the list of the 48 registered teams. Together with the baby players of the Vecchia Signora, who will compete to insert their name on the hall of fame that has thus far hosted Cesena (2015), Inter (2016 and 2017) and Sporting Clube de Portugal (2017, tied with Inter), 47 other teams will arrive in Valsugana with approximately 1,000 young football promises that will give life to more than 300 matches.
The event has grown year after year thanks to the commitment and professionalism shown by the organizing committee chaired by Renzo Merlino and led by the staff of the Unione Sportiva Levico Terme of President Sandro Beretta. In this edition, 12 teams of professional companies of international standing will partake, along with other 36 formations representing amateur clubs from all over Italy, in the name of an event that perfectly ties the great world of amateurs with that of professionals. The formula and the “heart” of the tournament make it unique in terms of excitement and competitive sports.
The cardinal principles of the event, since its inception, revolve around the keywords “sport, children and solidarity” and will continue to live on this June. Unlike the past, however, there will be four days dedicated to the event rather than three. Opening on Thursday 14 June with the first matches and continuing on to Friday 15 June with the opening ceremony and the parade of the participating teams, which is one of the most vibrant and exciting moments of the entire weekend.
The second and third stages of the tournament will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Like in 2017, there will be five playing fields: the sports center on viale Lido in Levico Terme will be the heart of the event, hosting the finales. The various qualifying rounds will take place in the nearby sports centers of Borgo Valsugana, Roncegno, Caldonazzo and Calceranica, thanks to the collaboration of the relative sports clubs Us Borgo, Gs Roncegno, Audace Caldonazzo and Fc Calceranica.
A solution made possible by the ability to network carried out by the organizing committee which, thanks to the excellent work done, has ensured the collaboration of institutions, associations and local schools, as well as the support of over 200 volunteers who are essential for the success of the event. Last year, 6,000 people, including players, chaperones, technicians and relatives, arrived in Valsugana. This number confirms the potential of the tournament in terms of tourist promotion opportunities as well, as shown by the contacts registered on the social profiles and on the tournament’s website, which have been accessed by users from over thirty nations.
The list of the teams registered for the 2018 edition, which will be officially announced soon, is even more international than in the past, also thanks to the involvement of a top English club. In 2017, the tournament hosted teams of the caliber of Inter, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Rome, Turin, Hellas Verona, Sampdoria, Spal and the Danish Brøndby – just to name a few. The formula of the tournament has been confirmed after the positive feedback received last year.
The participating teams will compete in the initial rounds necessary to decree the four semi-finalists that will go on to join to the pre-established twelve teams. At that point, there will be the next rounds of orientation and “selection”, which will determine the clubs that will take part in the final rounds to award the Pulcino d’Oro (Golden Chick), the Pulcino d’Argento (Silver Chick), the Pulcino di Bronzo (Bronze Chick), the Pulcino Gialloblù (Yellow-Blue Chick) and the four rounds of the Pulcino Arcobaleno (Rainbow Chick).
The Pulcino d’Oro (Golden Chick) makes solidarity one of its distinctive features: in 2016 all of the registration fees collected were donated to the Niccolò Galli Onlus Foundation, delivered directly in the hands of its founder Giovanni Galli, the former goalkeeper of Fiorentina, Milan, Naples, Turin and the Italian national team, who attended the tournament in Levico Terme. In 2017, however, the shares were used to host the team of Atletico Sibillini of Amandola, a town hit hard by the earthquake. The proceeds of the 2018 registration will have their own solidarity purpose, which will be unveiled shortly.
TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 19: Juventus Youth Teams Photocall on September 25, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)