Football unites: a championship among Ukrainian teams will be held in Italy
On 26 April, a football tournament kicks off in Italy, which has been bringing together Ukrainian teams from different regions of the country for many years. The competition will run until 17 May and will conclude with the final tournament — the Super Cup in Rome. This is the only Ukrainian football championship in Italy, featuring teams from the south, centre and north of the country.
It is worth noting that the tournament’s history dates back to 2013, when the first championship between Ukrainian teams was organised on the initiative of the parish priest of the Ukrainian community in Caserta, Fr. Ihor Danylchuk, and several enthusiasts. According to UA Service HUB, six teams from the southern region of Italy took part in the first competition. The tournament subsequently began to expand, with new cities and teams joining in. Over time, the championship has come to cover virtually the whole country.
In 2021, the sporting event began to be supported by the newly established Department of Youth Ministry of the Apostolic Exarchate, led by Fr. Sviatoslav Tytuliak. The event has both a sporting and a spiritual dimension: before the games begin, participants gather for the Divine Liturgy, and a communal prayer takes place before each match. Details of this year’s championship: Matches involving teams from the Southern region will take place in Caserta.
Participating teams: Storm (Salerno) Volya (Nola) Trident (Caserta) Cavour (Naples) Otamani (Santa Maria C. V.) Bukovina (Mondragone) Vesuvius (Pompeii) Programme for 26 April: 11:30 — Divine Liturgy. Church address: via San Carlo, 112, Caserta. 13:30–20:00 — championship matches. Stadium address: via Pier Paolo Pasolini, 39, Caserta. Matches for teams from the central region will take place in Rome. Teams: The Unbreakables (Rome) Good Fellas (Rome) Legion (Rome) Sparta (Rome) St Josaphat College (Rome)
