Kvarnerska Rivijera
| Founded | 1953 |
|---|---|
| Region | Rijeka, Croatia |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Current champions |
 Abuja |
| Most successful club(s) |
 Rijeka |
| Website | Official website |
Kvarnerska Rivijera is one of the oldest youth football tournaments in the world, first played in 1953.[1] The tournament is organised by HNK Rijeka, a Croatian football club, and attracts clubs from across Europe and other continents.[2] It is held each year during the May–June period in Rijeka, Croatia, and its surroundings, including towns in the Istria County, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Lika-Senj County. The final is usually played on Stadion Kantrida in Rijeka. Until 2014, the tournament has been contested by under-19 club sides, with occasional national team participation. From 2015, the tournament features under-17 club sides.
History
The tournament was first played in 1953, becoming Europe's third oldest youth football tournament after Torneo di Viareggio and Bellinzona tournament. Hajduk Split were the first winners and 1860 München the first international side to compete. Each year there were 16 participants, with the exceptions of 1972 and 1976-80 (32 teams), and 1985 and 2002 (24 teams). HNK Rijeka's Ivan Kocjančić and Marijan Brnčić participated in the tournament five times, making them the record holders for most participations.[3]
Many later famous football players have played in the tournament, including Dino Zoff, Pietro Carmignani, Giovanni Galli, Gerd Müller, Paul Breitner, Joe Jordan, Terry Yorath, Pierluigi Casiraghi, Robert Prosinečki, Alen Bokšić, Zvonimir Boban and Davor Šuker.[3]
Numerous famous club sides have participated in the tournament, including:
A number of national under-19 sides have also taken part in the tournament, including Albania, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Macedonia, United States, Tunisia, Oman, Iraq, China, Japan and Korea.[4]
The hosts, HNK Rijeka, are the most successful side, winning 18 tournaments, with Hajduk Split winning 12 titles.
Winners
By year
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By club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rijeka |
18 | 7 | 1957, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1973, 1975, 1987, 1989, 1992–93, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2009–12, 2014 |
| Hajduk Split |
12 | 8 | 1953, 1958, 1972, 1979–80, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997–98, 2000, 2007 |
| Dinamo Zagreb |
8 | 9 | 1961, 1967, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1999, 2008 |
| Partizan Belgrade |
4 | 3 | 1959, 1965–66, 1991 |
| Red Star Belgrade |
4 | 2 | 1954–55, 1969, 1978 |
 Vasas Budapest |
2 | - | 1956, 1962 |
 Burevestnik Moscow |
2 | - | 1970, 1976 |
 Leeds United |
2 | - | 1971, 1983 |
 Atlético Mineiro |
2 | - | 2003–04 |
| Abuja Academy |
2 | - | 2013, 2015 |
 Dukla Prague |
1 | 2 | 1963 |
| Orijent Rijeka |
1 | 1 | 1995 |
 Vicenza |
1 | 1 | 2005 |
| Velež Mostar |
1 | - | 1974 |
 Japan |
1 | - | 1982 |
| Sutjeska Nikšić |
1 | - | 1985 |
| Varteks Varaždin |
1 | - | 2002 |
References
- ↑ "Kvarnerska Rivijera". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ↑ "Kvarnerska Rivijera Rules". HNK Rijeka. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- 1 2 "Šezdeset Godina Nogometne Mladosti" (in Croatian). Novi List. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ↑ "Mezzo Secolo Della Kvarnerska Rivijera 1953.–2002." (PDF) (in Italian). Universita Degli Studi di Trieste. Retrieved 28 May 2012.