European NextGen Series

What a game! Inter 2-0 Marseille, but it was far more comfortable than the score. Our primavera is showing our senior team how its done. I have a feeling these kids can give our senior team a good fright on current form.

And if Crisetig can score freekicks like that, why isn't he playing for the senior team already?? Some talent to be excited about - Crisetig, Alborno (who was rested yesterday) & Bessa. Some others like Duncan, Longo, Livaja, Tassi, Spendlhofer could become interesting in the future....and others on loan like Benedetti, Caldirola, & Coutinho. Plus the few kids who are already with the senior team like Faraoni, Obi, Castaignos, Juan, Poli... We got a decent generation growing up.

Some joy in an otherwise shite season... now for the final against Ajax. I think it will be a good game. I hope Stramaccioni can convince Raneiri to allow Faraoni, Obi, Castaignos & Juan to play this final. I would love to see an attacking lineup like:

------------Di Gennaro
Faraoni - Juan - Spendlhofer - Alborno
-------Crisetig - Duncan
Obi -------- Bessa ---------- Longo
-----------Castaignos

And Inter are the champions of NextGen, the first "youth CL"!!!

10 men Inter primavera beat Ajax on penalties, after a 1-1 draw in the final. Inter pretty much played the same team as in the semi's.

Ajax 1-1 Inter aet (6-3 on pens)

Scorers: Longo 45 (I), Denswil 48 (A)
Ajax: Van der Hart; Nieuwpoort, Veltman, Denswil, Dijkis; Rits (Hasnaoui 105), Sporkslede, Klaassen; Schoop (Gravenberch 58), De Sa (De Bondt 75), Fischer

Inter: Di Gennaro; Pecorini, Kysela, Spendlhofer, M'Baye; Crisetig, Duncan; Romanò, Bessa, Longo; Livaja (Alborno 75)

Sent off: M’Baye 70 (I)

Ref: Collins

The six Groups for the NextGen Series 2012/13 are:
Group One - FC Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Olympiacos, Vfl Wolfsburg.
Group Two - Manchester City FC, Juventus Football Club, Paris Saint-Germain, Fenerbahce.
Group Three - Chelsea FC, AFC Ajax, CSKA Moscow, Molde FK.
Group Four - Arsenal FC, Athletico Bilbao, Olympique de Marseille, RSC Anderlecht.
Group Five - Liverpool FC, Borussia Dortmund, Internazionale, Rosenborg BK.
Group Six - Sporting Clube de Portugal, Celtic FC, Aston Villa FC, PSV Eindhoven

Its growing, I think over time it will become a very important youth tournament, to rival the U-20 world cup.

I hope barca take it seriously next year and stop playing a team full of 16 and 17 year olds, because at some point the physical advantage that other teams have on us will show, it certainly did against ajax. it was like boys against men.

Still no mardid,(youth teams too shit probably, Man Utd,Bayern and Valencia, think they will come to their senses soon enough

So there will be at least one Tottenham Hotspurs acting on the highest European club level next season!

A good thing imo

uefa has announced it will set up it own U19 competition to rival the nextgen series, that will see the 32 teams that qualify for the group stage of the CL, youth teams being allowed to enter. pretty much the death of the nextgen series

messiah wrote:uefa has announced it will set up it own U19 competition to rival the nextgen series, that will see the 32 teams that qualify for the group stage of the CL, youth teams being allowed to enter. pretty much the death of the nextgen series

Shame. Nextgen needed to work out a reasonable qualification method, but something which just helps the same few clubs dominate is not a good move.

messiah wrote:uefa has announced it will set up it own U19 competition to rival the nextgen series, that will see the 32 teams that qualify for the group stage of the CL, youth teams being allowed to enter. pretty much the death of the nextgen series

When does that start?

Its a shame that UEFA did not collaborate with NextGen on this, rather than starting a rival competition... any investment in youth is a good thing, why destroy it?

2013, I guess its because the people that run the nextgen series, aren't from a sanctione FA and they dont want to share any revenue if it should take off

UEFA gives co-efficient points for Europa League performances that can cost you a CL place,but no ranking points for this tournament,UEFA and ther double-standard,back-door rulings

Just got an info that Eurosport will show NextGen. At least 18 games per season and deal is signed for 4 years.

Will be interesting to see if they can keep this series going
even after UEFA kick off their Champions League for youth.
Guess the teams outside of Champions League will get an invite to Nextgen,
could still be a very strong tournament.

Some of the current NG teams aren't always qualified for CL.
Guess Barcelona could join both and have even younger kids still doing well in NG.
Villa, Liverpool, (Arsenal/Tottenham) from England to remain - perhaps replace the others with Everton, West Ham, Fulham, Newcastle etc.

Spurs just played Wolfsburg, 2-2, after a late equaliser from the germans.
Alex Pritchard scored both for Spurs, Pritchard, player focus

Villa first team through to the QF after winning away at Ajax. (Gotta have something to celebrate these days )

PSG or Spurrrrrrrrrrrrs in the QF.

1-1 Psg and Spurs in Paris, in extra time currently

Spurs go through 4-3 on penalties.

Watch out Europe, it's a clash of the titans in the quarter finals: Villa V Spurs.

Game on Spurslings

Chelsea beat Barcelona as well.

But Liver are of course letting the English down

Where are ze Germans? I see none in the knock out stages. It must be a typo.

Germans don't really care / participate in the Next Gen series, for good reason. It's not an official UEFA competition, that will be introduced next season. And there is concern that players that young shouldn't leave their home so often while they are still getting proper education. German clubs actually care about their players going to school regularly...

Ve must follow ze rules at all times!

Wowsers, it wasn't so long ago the French were taking orders from you. Now you ask "How High" when Platini's baguette munching mob tell you to jump...

These "kids" are pushing 19. A 24 hr trip across Europe to experience playing against some of the best academies on the Continent isn't going to leave them borderline retarded.

Seems this competition is only going to grow, quicker ze Germans get fully onboard, quicker you can gloat as the little Teuton superclones that are being churned out of big imposing grey factories run rings around the rest of Europe

debaser wrote:Game on Spurslings

Chelsea beat Barcelona as well.

But Liver are of course letting the English down

Don't worry Deb, the defending champions are getting ready to start... we face Arsenal in the 2nd round, then we play Chelsea and then the winner of Spurs/Villa. So its either Inter, or one of the 4 English teams which will reach the final.

Unfortunately, this time our primavera is a bit shit. The only quality player (Benassi) has since made the senior squad...

Disco Benny wrote:
These "kids" are pushing 19. A 24 hr trip across Europe to experience playing against some of the best academies on the Continent isn't going to leave them borderline retarded.

Going by the interviews of the average English footballer, I've got my doubts...

The official UEFA competition is going to start next season. Enjoy the Döner Cups until then.

The official one is bullshit. Surely a European youth competition should be about rewarding the clubs who invest in youth development not giving more advantage to the same clubs who always qualify for champions league..

It should be an official UEFA competition. Of course it's idiotic to let the youth teams of the same clubs that play in the CL compete against each other for the sake of having a 'mini CL' or the like. A proper UEFA competition would be inviting the reigning national youth champions to a knock-out competition in the upcoming season, similar to the good old European Cup on the senior level.

Inter primavera face Arsenal on 6th march, then Inter take on Spurs on 7th. Time to kick some serious London ass.

*wishful thinking*

Bluey, you'll soon be introduced to Chuba Akpom! Get set

This pitch is shambolic. It's not even worthy of Sunday League standard. Anyway, Arsenal take the lead - Nico Yennaris the goalscorer.

Dreadful game, dreadful pitch but Arsenal win 1-0 at Inter, champions last year. At least we get a home tie now. Against CSKA I believe.

QF:

Chelsea − Juventus / Rosenborg
Tottenham Hotspur − Sporting CP
Arsenal − CSKA Moscow
Aston Villa − Olympiacos

fuck the Champions League, England is the best

Romford Pele wrote:Dreadful game, dreadful pitch but Arsenal win 1-0 at Inter, champions last year. At least we get a home tie now. Against CSKA I believe.

Congrats mate.

Yeah, we were champions last year, but that class has graduated. This is almost entirely a new team, this crop is as mediocre as its "long ball" coach, and has no striker who is remotely capable of ever being good enough for Serie B, forget Serie A. Basically, a shit year after a long time for our primavera.

I am surprised that Inter looked the better side in this game, but that pitch was awful. Arsenal basically scored on the only chance they created, and then parked the bus (clearly Wenger's footballing philosophy does not perculate down to their youth side). Tassi looked decent today for us, finally he is showing some talent, though nothing to justify the tag of being the costliest 15 year old to be bought by the club. I see some good signs from Olsen, Belloni and Spendlhofer. The FB's are ok-ish (Alborno the next C Ronaldo, my ass), and the young GK (Di Gennaro) has some potential.

To be fair, it was very hard for either side to play football in that swimming pool. Arsenal just adapted better to the conditions.

Like yourselves, we don't really have a very good batch at the moment. The best U21s are already in the first or are on loan. Akpom, Bellerin and Gnabry are the best ones to watch out for in the next year or so.

Your point about defence is an interesting one though. Wenger aside, there aren't many attacking coaches at Arsenal. Bould, Banfield, Burton, Gatting are all defensive coaches (because of their playing careers). Bould in particular is the one people have been crying out to Wenger for to let train the first team defence. But we all know how stubborn Wenger is. Bould's also responsible for the careers of Wilshere, Gibbs and Coquelin to date

Chelsea and Villa beat Juventus and Olympiakos in QF. Spuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssss lost to Sporting.