photo from harianorbit.com
There is another great reason for football lovers to visit Turkey next year. FIFA U-20 World Cup will be taking place from 21 June – 13 July 2013! According to FIFA’s President, Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA U-20 World Cup is not only FIFA’s second oldest competition, this tournament introduced the world to players like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Bebeto, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Michael Owen and so many others, it’s a fantastic platform for the discovery of talents.
The Brazilian took home the trophy in the very last edition which was held in Colombia in year 2011 while Ghana wrapped up the Championship in Egypt in year 2009. For Asia, South Korea was the most outstanding country having reached the Last 16 in Colombia and Quarter-final in Egypt in the last 2 editions.
Liverpool & Turkish’s Midfielder, Nuri Sahin, commented it’s priceless for young players to participate in such International tournament, especially for their development.
“These kind of tournaments are the first step into professional football. You appear on television for the first time and you return home full of confidence because you’ve tested yourself against the best. I have wonderful memories of the U-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005. For me it was the perfect introduction and I had a lot of fun. The tournament made the next steps easier for me and was a big help in making me a better player”, added Nuri Sahin.
As a great youth football supporter, we are always supportive for such tournament to be held, especially near our region, Asia. FIFA U-20 World Cup is obviously a must to follow as some of players will be donning their respective countries’ color in the future.
And well, if you think June 2013 is rather far for you to witness some great youth football development work, why not focus your attention on the upcoming SINGA CUP 2012 which will be taking place right in Singapore where some of the region’s best youngsters will be battling out for the trophy comes November! As the official media partner for SINGA CUP 2012, Junpiter Futbol will bring you more updates and news right here.
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