Levico Terme and Valsugana are ready for the invasion of the many young footballers who, from today, Thursday 13 June, to Sunday 18 June, will give life to the ninth edition of the Pulcino d’Oro International Tournament. The 2024 edition is full of great news. Some of Europe’s biggest clubs will be taking part, including Leeds United and Sunderland from England, Benfica from Portugal, Atletico Madrid from Spain, PSV Eindhoven and Az Alkmaar from the Netherlands, and River Plate from Argentina. There will be no shortage of great Italian teams such as Inter, Juventus, Milan, Roma and Atalanta, fresh from winning the Europa League with their first team. Four days of football in the name of an event that manages to combine the world of professional football with the amateur movement in an ideal way. Over 1,200 promising pulcini aged 9, 10 and 11 will arrive in Trentino, in Valsugana, to play over 300 matches on the pitches of Borgo Valsugana, Caldonazzo and Levico Terme, the heart of the event.
The Pulcino d’Oro International Tournament will be opened by amateur teams from all over Italy and professional teams such as Trento, Alcione Milano and Vis Pesaro. Many of them will be present after having taken part in the numerous Pulcino d’Oro Regional Tournaments of the 2024 edition, in which more than 300 clubs participated. From Alto Adige and Trentino to Sicily and Puglia. Passing through the capital Rome in Lazio, Campania, Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia in an ideal tour of Italy that took place in February, March, April and May.
From Sicily, Torregrotta and Vivi don Bosco; from Basilicata, Franco Selvaggi Matera; from Apulia, Levante Azzurro; from Campania, Real Sito San Leucio and Paraiso; from the Marche, Vigor Senigallia, Palombina Vecchia and Junior Jesina Scuola Calcio Roberto Mancini; from Lazio, Nuova Tor Tre Teste and Vigor Perconti.
Veneto and Trentino will be represented by many teams. Veronese Asd Bovolone and Alba Borgo Roma will be there, along with Montebelluna, Dolomiti Bellunesi, Caorle-La Salute and Liventina Opitergina. Levico Terme, Audace Caldonazzo and Borgo open the line-up of Trentino teams, with ViPo Trento, Lavis, Comano Terme Fiavé and Sacco San Giorgio. From South Tyrol come Fc Obermais, Voran Leifers, Virtus Bolzano and Unterland Berg. From Lombardy come Villa Cortese with Voluntas Brescia, from Emilia-Romagna Accademia Marignanese, from Friuli Venezia-Giulia Cavolano and San Luigi Trieste.
On Friday morning, the Pulcino d’Oro Girls will take to the pitch. There will be four more teams than last year. The number of teams is growing, as shown by the fact that eight teams have already taken part in the regional tournaments. In total, more than 300 girls are taking part. This is an impressive figure, which shows the importance of investing in and giving space to an ever-growing sector. The presence of last year’s big teams, Inter, Roma, Milan and Juventus, has been confirmed, but there are also many new amateur entrants, such as Lady Maerne from Veneto, Treviso Women and Cittadella Women, as well as the Real Sala Bolognese team from Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont’s Pro Vercelli and Lombardy’s Accademia Calcio Vittuone and Rhodense.
The Pulcino d’Oro is a lot of football, but not only. Sport 360° returns to the Pulcino Village. Sport, music and fun at the sports centre in Viale Lido, Levico Terme. On Saturday and Sunday, the sports centre will be transformed with activities showcasing various sporting disciplines.
A few figures will help us understand the scale of the Pulcino d’Oro 2024. Up to 250 students from various Trentino institutions will be involved in the volunteer team during the days of the event. The Pulcino Village will also host other sports, from basketball to rugby, from beach volleyball to volleyball, in a spirit of solidarity. Confirmed the partnership with UNICEF, started in 2019, which will be relaunched on an important stage: Sportitalia, present also in this edition, broadcasting the finals, involved one million viewers last year.
The countdown is over: the IX Pulcino d’Oro International Tournament starts this afternoon!