This Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., the regional final of the Danone Nations Cup will take place inside the Allianz Riviera. On the starting line, 20 teams from the PACA region will compete to reach the final, which will qualify them for the national final the following day.
They are under 12 years old, yet they will be under real pressure this Saturday on the Allianz Riviera field with its 36,000 seats. The season is almost over for nearly 200 “youngsters,” but this Saturday is the cherry on the cake, a unique experience awaits them. From 10 a.m. until the late afternoon, the U12s, formerly the “poussin” category, will play about ten matches until the final around 5 p.m.
The twenty qualified clubs have passed the initial selections in their respective departments before having the privilege of playing on the Gym’s field. They will come from various origins, such as AC Arles-Avignon, Gap Foot, or AS Monaco, which will be arriving as a neighbor. The clubs representing the Alpes-Maritimes will be AS Cagnes Cros, Gazelec Nice, AS Fontonne-Antibes, Entente St Sylvestre Nice Nord, US Mandelieu la Napoule, RC Grasse, and US Valbonne.
The stakes are simple: the two finalists will return the next day for the national final against already qualified leading clubs like FC Metz, OGC Nice, or AS Saint-Etienne. And this Sunday, the pressure will rise, as the winner of the national final will secure their ticket to the grand world final next October in Marrakech, Morocco. A winner who will represent France and receive the blue-white-red jersey. An event never trivial, a first step towards the professional dream.
Photo credit: Danone Nations Cup
