FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.03.2007 14:40

The Meridian Cup says farewell to Barcelona

The 2007 Meridian Cup has ended with the return leg of the tie between the under-18 sides from Africa and Europe. Both the tournament itself and the many multicultural events have been a big success.

FC Barcelona hosted the sixth Meridian Cup from 27th February and 1st March and the two games between young players from Europe and Africa have given the fans the chance to see the players of the future.

Apart from the purely sporting nature of the Meridian Cup, the many events and conferences have provided the opportunity to get across a message of respect and of a struggle against racism. The interchange of experiences and cultures was one of the main objectives of the competition, together with the establishment of links for cooperation between European and African football.

Europe leads the way

The Europe team, managed by Iñaki Saez, ran out convincing winners with an aggregate score of 10-1. The European players clearly demonstrated the high level of the game in Europe, with Barca youth team star, Bojan Krkic, one of the rising stars.
In the return leg on Thursday, the European team confirmed their role as favourites by winning 4-0. The match was evenly balanced in the first half with chances for both teams, but a goal in the 39th minute by the Hungarian Nemeth changed the course of the game. In the second half, the Europeans dominated possession and had many chances to increase their lead. The competition’s top scorer with 3 goals, Fischer (Germany), added another, followed by Prudnikov (Russia) and Dudás (Hungary).