The J.League will continue the 'J.League Academy Global Challenge Program' established in 2012, and from July 10 (Tue) to 24 (Tue), the FC Tokyo U-18, awarded the Best Youth Development Club at the 2017 J.League Awards, will participate as the J.League Academy representative team in the '2018 Gothia Cup' held in Sweden.
【J League Academy Global Challenge Program Overview】
□Name
J League Academy Global Challenge Program
□Purpose
Establish a program themed on international goodwill and next-generation development by the J.League, promoting the J.League Academy's aim of fostering and strengthening players who will succeed globally.
□Overview
The J.League provides the club that won the "Best Youth Development Club Award" at the previous year's J.League Awards with the right to participate in the international youth tournament in the following year, along with round-trip airfare (the tournament will cover local accommodation costs).
□2018 Implementation Details:
(1) Participating Tournament
2018 Gothia Cup
(2) Dispatch Period
Jul 10 (Tue) 2018 – Jul 24 (Tue)
* The tournament period is from July 16 (Monday) to July 21 (Saturday)
(3) Venue
Gothenburg, Sweden
(4) Participating Club
FC Tokyo U-18
*2017 J League Awards "Best Youth Development Club Award" winning club
【2018 Gothia Cup Overview】
□Tournament Name
2018 Gothia Cup
□Period
July 16, 2018 (Mon) - July 21, 2018 (Sat)
□Venue
Gothenburg, Sweden
□Entry Countries
Sweden, Spain, England, Germany, America, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Japan and 78 other countries
□B17 Elite Entry Countries (FC Tokyo Participation)
Sweden, Ivory Coast, Poland, Jamaica, Ghana, France, Spain, United States, Ghana, Nigeria, England, Macedonia, 13 countries including Japan
□Notes
・The world's largest international youth tournament held since 1975.
・Held in categories from U-11 to U-18 for boys and U-11 to U-18 for girls, with a category for intellectually disabled players as well.
・The 44th edition in 2018 is scheduled to have 78 countries, 1,731 teams, and about 30,000 players competing in a total of 4,391 matches across 102 fields located throughout the city of Gothenburg.
・During the tournament, more than 60,000 people visit Gothenburg, with over 2,200 volunteers involved, centered around 8 staff members.
・To date, over 1,000,000 players from 141 countries have participated in this tournament.
・Participating teams receive a Gothia Card, which grants free access to public transportation and tourist facilities in the city. Exchange events such as parties are also planned.
・In the past, players who later became world-class stars such as Xabi Alonso (Spain), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), and Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo) have participated.
・The main past achievements of teams from Japan are as follows.
2013: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (Runner-up in Boys 16), U-14 J.League Select (Runner-up in Boys 15)
2014: U-14 J.League Select (Champion in Boys 15)
2015: Verdy (Champion in Boys 16), U-14 J.League Select (3rd place in Boys 15)
2016: U-14 J.League Select (3rd place in Boys 15)
2017: Gamba Osaka (3rd place in U-17 Elite), U-14 J.League Select (3rd place in Boys 15)
□Official Site
http://www.gothiacup.se/eng
