http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/reds-set-for-u19-champions-league McParland told Liverpoolfc.tv: "On August 17 we start the U19 Champions League. "We will play the first game of it against Sporting Lisbon. Hopefully that will be played at Anfield. We'll have to see what the first-team fixture list throws up first of all, but that is the plan. "I don't have a definitive list of the teams involved but I know Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Lyon are looking to play in it. "It's all about our reserves going to a new level next season. We are trying to pit them against top, top opposition. "Hopefully we will play most of our games with the reserves at the Academy. We would hope to play the Champions League matches at Anfield but we will have to see about that. "We'll still be in the domestic league too but this will offer them the chance to play in front of big crowds and against a higher quality of opposition."
with the players we have we could win it imagine the confidence our lads would get by winning something like this
great idea... it will give the club more exposure across europe and help us to attract players to the club
Excellent idea.It can only help to improve the academy playing better opposition and hopefully they will get the chance to play more games at Anfield in front of larger crowds.Can't do their confidence any harm.
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2011/04/arsenal-sign-up-for-youth-champions-league/ Arsenal have agreed to enter the inaugural Youth Champions League, Young Guns has exclusively learnt. The tournament, designed to run alongside the flagship UEFA Championship League, is due to kick off in August. UEFA have been working with officials from Ajax, Celtic, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Sporting Lisbon to trial the idea, which is seen as an adventurous and exciting move for Under 18′s football. The final plans are yet to be confirmed, but Arsenal will make up one of the first groups, along with Ajax, Bayern Munich, Basel and an unconfirmed Scandinavian team. In a similar way to its bigger brother, the Youth Champions League will open with a group stage, consisting of four teams per group. Qualification would then lead to progression to a knock out phase, scheduled for January 2012. The initial aims are for matches to be played in the club’s home stadiums, meaning Arsenal would be playing their fixtures at the Emirates. This is seen as a key way of helping clubs make up the costs of their European exploits. The final details are still to be ironed out, but Young Guns expects Arsenal to make an announcement on the competition in the summer.
LFC enter Euro U19s tournament LFC enter Euro U19s tournament 2nd Jun 2011 - Latest News http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/lfc-enter-euro-u19s-tournament Liverpool Football Club can today confirm it will compete against some of Europe's top clubs in a Champions League-style U19s tournament which starts in 2011-12. Sixteen clubs including Barcelona and Inter Milan have confirmed their involvement in The Nextgen Series - a six-month format which allows the continent's top young footballers to compete against each other week in, week out for the first time. Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV, Celtic and Sporting Lisbon will also take part. Sanctioned by UEFA and the FA, the tournament has been established to help Europe's best teenagers make the transition from youth football to senior level. Four groups of four teams will battle it out home and away from August, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages which begin in January. The tournament is the brainchild of ex-pro and former Watford Academy manager Mark Warburton and TV producer Justin Andrews. Warburton said: "The Nextgen Series will provide a cognitive learning environment for players to experience how best to cope with the pressures of top-level football." Organisers believe young players will benefit from travelling abroad and facing new styles of play, as well as being officiated by top referees and having to deal with media interest. Clubs confirmed include Barcelona, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Marseille, Sporting Lisbon, Wolfsburg, Molde, PSV, Celtic, FC Basel, Fenerbahce and Rosenborg.
It will be great experience for the boys I hope it's shown on lfctv it would be great to see the lads lift this one
This is class. I remember Rafa going on about how crap the youth set up was in England. This will be brilliant experience for these fellows and the timing is great too with our youth team now. I personally think that Liverpool history will be kind to Rafa.
Fantastis idea.Imagine the amount of experience they will gain while playing foregin teams.How this idea wasnt thought up earlier suprises me as its such a simple but effective idea. Id imagine more fans might also get interested in this if they see some of the Bigger European clubs coming to town too.
Great idea and experience for the youngsters. I'd imagine they will open up Anfield for this, I'm sure there would be a fair bit of public interest.
No AC, Juve or Real either? Only 15 teams listed *edit or Ajax which is suprising, don't know how teams were selected. "The final plans are yet to be confirmed, but Arsenal will make up one of the first groups, along with Ajax, Bayern Munich, Basel and an unconfirmed Scandinavian team" from F@ces earlier post *Edit edit: Looks like there will be two seperate tournaments; The Nextgen Series which we are in and the Youth Champions League that Arsenal, Bayern et al. are in
Ajax Youth will be a cracking Side id imagine.The players they bring through is great, and with the likes of De Boer , Bergkamp and Cryuff at the club too now, id imagine this conveyer belt wont stop. So you could see some real talent in this tourament from Ajax and id imagine they could be one of the favourites for it.Their records of bringing young players through speaks for itself.
True but looks like Ajax and Arsenal are in the other tournament to us We'll still get Barca and Inter though, the two top academies in Europe arguably.
Interesting article here on this, answered a few Qs for me........ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2006964/Q-A-NextGen-Series.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Liverpool-mini-Champions-League-fixtures.html Young Villa face Ajax, Man City tackle Barcelona, Spurs take on Inter and Liverpool play Sporting in Euro League By SIMON JONES Last updated at 10:52 PM on 30th June 2011 Ajax have been named the 16th team in Europe's mini-Champions League next season and will play England's dark horses Aston Villa. In a coup for organisers NextGen, the four-time European champions have joined the Under 19s tournament in Group Four, along with Villa, Rosenborg and Fenerbahce. Leading the way: Villa have reached FA Youth Cup final three times in last 10 years The draw, revealed exclusively in Sportsmail, leaves Tottenham with one of the toughest tasks - against Inter Milan, the highly rated Swiss FC Basle and the other Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. Liverpool will play Sporting Lisbon, Wolfsburg and Molde in Group Two, while Manchester City face Marseille, a strong Barcelona and Celtic in the deadly Group One. NextGen Series creator Mark Warburton, who is sporting director at League One Brentford, said: 'It is fantastic news that Ajax have signed up. They have one of the best youth academies in the world, producing the likes of Johan Cruyff and Dennis Bergkamp.' Teams will play home and away, with the top two from each group progressing to a knock-out phase, possibly in Abu Dhabi, in January. Group One Barcelona Manchester City Celtic Marseille FIXTURES - Aug 17: Marseille v Celtic. Aug 31: Celtic v Barcelona. Sept 14: Man City v Barcelona; Celtic v Marseille. Sept 28: Barcelona v Marseille. Oct 5: Marseille v Man City. Oct 19: Man City v Celtic; Marseille v Barcelona. Nov 2: Barcelona v Man City. Nov 9: Celtic v Man City. Nov 23: Man City v Marseille; Barcelona v Celtic. Group Two Liverpool Sporting Lisbon Molde Wolfsburg FIXTURES - Aug 17: Liverpool v Sporting. Aug 18: Molde v Wolfsburg. Aug 31: Sporting v Wolfsburg; Molde v Liverpool. Sept 14: Liverpool v Wolfsburg. Sept 21: Sporting v Molde. Sept 29: Liverpool v Molde. Oct 5: Wolfsburg v Liverpool; Molde v Sporting. Oct 19: Wolfsburg v Sporting. Nov 2: Wolfsburg v Molde. Nov 23: Sporting v Liverpool. Group Three FC Basle Tottenham PSV Eindhoven Inter Milan FIXTURES Aug 17: Basle v Tottenham. Aug 31: Basle v PSV; Tottenham v Inter Milan. Sept 14: Inter Milan v PSV. Sept 28: Inter Milan v Basle; PSV v Tottenham. Oct 19: Basle v Inter Milan; Tottenham v PSV. Nov 2: Inter Milan v Tottenham; PSV v Basle. Nov 23: Tottenham v Basle; PSV v Inter Milan. (All fixtures are subject to change) Group Four Ajax Rosenborg Aston Villa ~ Fenerbahce FIXTURES Aug 24: Ajax v Rosenborg; A Villa v Fenerbahce. Sept 7: Rosenborg v A Villa; Ajax v Fenerbahce. Sept 21: A Villa v Ajax; Fenerbahce v Rosenborg. Oct 5: Rosenborg v Ajax; Fenerbahce v A Villa. Oct 12: Rosenborg v Fenerbahce. Nov 2: Fenerbahce v Ajax; A Villa v Rosenborg. Nov 23: Ajax v A Villa. This should be a really good competition, and I looking forward to it