Uefa Regions’ Cup: Liguria an example in Europe for all Italian professional amateur footballers
A premise or rather a “spoiler”, as the new generations like it. This reflection is valid for over 1 million amateur footballers who play in 58,000 teams in almost 12,000 amateur clubs in Italy. In this case we are talking about the 18 called up by Liguria who currently represent the entire world of amateur football in the only UEFA body dedicated to amateurs from all over Europe, the Uefa Regions’ Cup. A story of boys, men, of land and football. For seven days the Liguria Representative team has been busy on the fields of Chiavari e Sixth Levante to earn a place in the finals. The team that won the Regions Tournament 2023 Under 19 is playing the European competition with Romania, Malta and Croatia. Giuseppe Chiappucci’s team, author of the success at the TDR, has already overcome the Romanians and the Maltese. Monday 23 September at 17.00 at the Chiavari stadium Liguria will play with the Croatia the decisive challenge for first place in the Intermediate Round. It won’t be easy, just as it wasn’t easy to assemble a team in a few meetings with the players’ many commitments. It’s not just about sporting commitments but above all about the needs of the 18 players to carry on a personal life that goes beyond football because when you play in the Ligurian Excellence and Promotion Championships, as in the rest of Italy, you can’t just focus on football. A way of being professionally amateur which in a UEFA competition is a balancing act.
Let’s talk about the goalkeeper for example Luca Bartolettiundefeated in this competition. Between training sessions, Luca drives the AMT buses, the urban transport service. The day before the match against Malta, after training in the morning, the goalkeeper drove for 4 hours from Genoa to Finale Ligure, there and back, then immediately returned to the team retreat. Federico Guidotti he wanted to be there at all costs to defend the shirt of his Region that he knows in every corner thanks to his work as a railwayman. The mind of the team Matthew Cicirellothe midfielder who never wastes a ball and even scored a wonder goal against Romania, already has a degree in physics in his pocket. Marco Giulio Borreanithe captain, central defender of a Liguria that has conceded little or nothing to its opponents, will soon begin attending a school for airline pilots in Bergamo. The attackers Manuel Macagno e Luca Travellathe latter scoring with Romania, have performed real pirouettes to be here between holidays and postponed appointments. The first is a warehouseman, the second is a plumber.
The many young players in the squad are studying to have a future beyond football: Alessio The Oxborn in 2005, the youngest of the Representative team, is engaged in the Faculty of Law and Business Economics, the midfielder Davide Calcagnoalso born in 2005, is immersed in the study of Mechanical Engineering. The defensive full-back Alessandro Gottingi will soon be a Dental Technician. Lorenzo Damonte who created havoc in the defenses of Romania and Malta studies Marketing, the midfielder Nicholas Costa and the goalkeeper Dominik Mondino they combined passion and work by attending the Faculty of Motor Sciences in 2004 Nicholas Latini he is passionate about graphics. Alessandro Bruzzonetireless midfielder, it is no coincidence that he is a personal trainer. In the sporting field off the pitch there are also others involved Leon Sadiku e Maxim Zuppirolithe latter protagonist of an excellent official beach soccer championship always of the National Amateur League with the Genoa shirt. And finally there is the impeccable central defender Luke Baroni who is doing somersaults to stay as long as possible with the Representative while carrying on the family business, one of the historic jewelry stores of Voltri. They are not champions but certainly excellent players, for information ask Romania and Malta. They are not heroes but boys who best embody the spirit of football in its essence because an amateur is someone who does what he loves.
