Has this been done ? U19s CL tournament

[Rammyblues]

Nicked this off Bluevibe

Liverpool Football Club can today confirm it will compete against some of Europe's top clubs in a Champions League-style U19s tournament which starts in 2011-12.
Sixteen clubs including Barcelona and Inter Milan have confirmed their involvement in The Nextgen Series - a six-month format which allows the continent's top young footballers to compete against each other week in, week out for the first time.

Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV, Celtic and Sporting Lisbon will also take part.

Sanctioned by UEFA and the FA, the tournament has been established to help Europe's best teenagers make the transition from youth football to senior level.

Four groups of four teams will battle it out home and away from August, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages which begin in January.

The tournament is the brainchild of ex-pro and former Watford Academy manager Mark Warburton and TV producer Justin Andrews.

Warburton said: "The Nextgen Series will provide a cognitive learning environment for players to experience how best to cope with the pressures of top-level football."

Organisers believe young players will benefit from travelling abroad and facing new styles of play, as well as being officiated by top referees and having to deal with media interest.

Clubs confirmed include Barcelona, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Marseille, Sporting Lisbon, Wolfsburg, Molde, PSV, Celtic, FC Basel, Fenerbahce and Rosenborg

 

[MCFC 4 EVER]

Nicked this off Bluevibe

Liverpool Football Club can today confirm it will compete against some of Europe's top clubs in a Champions League-style U19s tournament which starts in 2011-12.
Sixteen clubs including Barcelona and Inter Milan have confirmed their involvement in The Nextgen Series - a six-month format which allows the continent's top young footballers to compete against each other week in, week out for the first time.

Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV, Celtic and Sporting Lisbon will also take part.

Sanctioned by UEFA and the FA, the tournament has been established to help Europe's best teenagers make the transition from youth football to senior level.

Four groups of four teams will battle it out home and away from August, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages which begin in January.

The tournament is the brainchild of ex-pro and former Watford Academy manager Mark Warburton and TV producer Justin Andrews.

Warburton said: "The Nextgen Series will provide a cognitive learning environment for players to experience how best to cope with the pressures of top-level football."

Organisers believe young players will benefit from travelling abroad and facing new styles of play, as well as being officiated by top referees and having to deal with media interest.

Clubs confirmed include Barcelona, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Marseille, Sporting Lisbon, Wolfsburg, Molde, PSV, Celtic, FC Basel, Fenerbahce and Rosenborg

I don't think it has been done this year, there hasn't been any news about us competing in it but I do hope it goes ahead next season as it would do wonders for our youth team

 

[Amigo]

A lot had been made about our youth team, and I think this would be a great idea to help development and give players a chance. Despite what has been said about our development being sidetracked I think people still have to realise that Micah Richards has had a good season, has really improved and will do better next season, and Boyata will continue to improve and I think we will so more of him next season. Players are coming through and in my mind a tournament like this will only be positive to our players. Even if we get thrashed then the experience will be valuable, especially as playing time in bigger games will become harder and harder to come by because of new signings etcetera.

 

[ManCitizens.]

Its for the upcoming season, were in a group with Barcelona, Celtic and Marseille.

 

[WNRH]

It will be a fantastic experience for our young lads to travel to Barcelona, play in the nou camp and do all the pro stuff like media interviews.

 

[David Silva]

Anyone know how they decide which teams qualify for this?

 

[berryblue]

Its for the upcoming season, were in a group with Barcelona, Celtic and Marseille.

Do you know where the Home Games will be played? Platt Lane couldn't be suitable.

 

[Damocles]

This isn't an official UEFA tournament like the CL, it's glorified friendlies.<br /><br />-- Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:09 pm --<br /><br />

Anyone know how they decide which teams qualify for this?

Invitation only, finals are in Abu Dhabi in January. Privately financed, despite what the Echo says, this hasn't yet been sanctioned by UEFA or FIFA so might not happen.

We're in the group with Celtic, Marseille and Barca.

 

[WNRH]

This isn't an official UEFA tournament like the CL, it's glorified friendlies.

-- Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:09 pm --

Anyone know how they decide which teams qualify for this?

Invitation only, finals are in Abu Dhabi in January. Privately financed, despite what the Echo says, this hasn't yet been sanctioned by UEFA or FIFA so might not happen.

We're in the group with Celtic, Marseille and Barca.

They will be competitive games, it doesn't matter if it isn't sanction by an organisation, clubs won't be travelling around europe to play in glorified friendlies, they will all want to win it.

 

[Falastur]

This isn't an official UEFA tournament like the CL, it's glorified friendlies.

-- Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:09 pm --

Anyone know how they decide which teams qualify for this?

Invitation only, finals are in Abu Dhabi in January. Privately financed, despite what the Echo says, this hasn't yet been sanctioned by UEFA or FIFA so might not happen.

We're in the group with Celtic, Marseille and Barca.

They will be competitive games, it doesn't matter if it isn't sanction by an organisation, clubs won't be travelling around europe to play in glorified friendlies, they will all want to win it.

it does matter if fifa/uefa/whoever doesn't sanction it cos if it isn't sanctioned the organisers will likely have to scrap the entire event