EUC Football 2019 full of firsts
The ongoing 2019 European Universities Football Championships are rewriting history, as a number of historic firsts are taking place in Madrid, Spain.
After hosting their first European Universities Championships in Tennis two years ago, the Spanish capital were attributed with the 13th edition of EUC Football, which became the first continent university football championship to be hosted by a university in Madrid with the collaboration of the municipality of Boadilla del Monte.
In another major first, the tournament is being officiated by Second Division referees who will train with the VAR system for the first time, while EUC Football 2019 will also be the first competition to feature Hawk-Eye technology, chosen by the Royal Spanish Football Federation for the upcoming 2019/2020 season.
This year’s competition was officially opened on Sunday, July 21 where all participants gathered for the pitch-side opening ceremony.
Following the traditional march pass and addresses by distinguished guests, those in attendance were entertained by two local freestyle footballers before the sounding of the university anthem as the Championships were officially declared open.
The honorary kick-off of the Championship was made by Ms Ana Marcos, a student in Physiotherapy at the University Camilo José Cela who is an Atlético de Madrid player and two-time European champion with the Spanish National Under 18 and 19 teams.
"This tournament is further testament to the growth of University Camilo José Cela in recent years. This initiative shows its support for both men's and women's football, which I think has progressed a great deal in recent years, and we hope to continue counting on this support in the future," Ms Marcos said.
A total of 553 players from 32 university teams will participate in this year’s championship, along with 93 coaches and 20 referees in attendance, with the final day of action set for Saturday, July 27.
More information about the event can be found at www.football2019.eusa.eu, while all results can be accessed at www.results.eusa.eu.