Granatkin Memorial

Granatkin Memorial
Founded 1981
Number of teams 16 (2013–14)
Current champions  Japan (1st title)
Most successful club(s)  Soviet Union (10 titles)
Website Granatkin

The Granatkin Memorial (Russian: Мемориал Гранаткина) is a youth association football tournament which traditionally features invited national teams composed of U-17/U-18[1]/U-19 players.

Tournament history

In 1981 in Moscow started the first Granatkin Memorial – the International youth football tournament initiated by the FIFA President Joao Havelange to perpetuate the memory of the FIFA First Vice-President Valentin Granatkin.

The tournament attracted the attention of both professionals and football fans. The matches of the Memorial were attended by the President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch. The prize to the winners was presented by Granatkin’s daughter Marina Valentinovna.

In 1981 and 1982 the tournament was held in Moscow. Since 1983 Leningrad became the Memorial residence. Till 1992 in twelve tournaments have taken part combined teams from 16 countries.

The second period of the Memorial started in the year 2001. Since that time the scheme of the competition radically changed. The number of the participants increased to 8 combined teams, which are divided into two groups. Every group plays round robin. When in play-off teams contest the places from 1 to 8.

Granatkin tournament always was a place of discoveries. Memorial was a first loud word from the future stars of world football – Andreas Moeller, Oliver Bierhoff, Carsten Jancker, Marcel Desailly, Igor Kolyvanov and Alexandr Mostovoi.

Winners

Year Winner Runner up 3rd places
1981 West Germany Soviet Union-1 Spain
1982 Soviet Union-1 Brazil Soviet Union-2
1983 Soviet Union-1 France Czechoslovakia
1984 Soviet Union-1 Soviet Union-1 Belgium
1985 Soviet Union-1 France Soviet Union-2
1986 Soviet Union-1 West Germany France
1987 Soviet Union-1 Soviet Union-2 France
1988 Soviet Union-1 China PR Soviet Union-2
1989 Soviet Union-1 Belgium Soviet Union-2
1990 Soviet Union-1 China PR West Germany
1991 Soviet Union-2 Soviet Union-1 China PR
1992 West Germany CIS-1 China PR
2001 Russia China PR Iran
2002 Russia Lithuania Ukraine
2003 South Korea China PR Belarus
2004 Russia Poland Belarus
2005 Russia Ukraine Belarus
2006 Germany Slovakia Russia
2007 Belarus Turkey Russia
2008 Russia Belarus Ukraine
2009 Russia Turkey Ukraine
2010 Russia Ukraine Turkey
2011 Finland China PR Ukraine
2012 Italy Finland Turkey
2013 Russia Saint Petersburg Ukraine
2014 Japan Russia Slovakia
2015 Russia South Korea Slovenia
2016 Slovenia Saint Petersburg Russia

References

External links

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