Viareggio Caput Mundi For more than seventy years, the Italian tournament has been being an excellence among European youth competitions

Pizza, mandolin, and Viareggio tournament. Call it also Viareggio Cup or Carnival Cup, but the prestigious competition for young players confirms once again the wealth of our football, a flower that seems to never wilt despite the passing years. The edition which is playing, and that is now close to the end, is the 71th: born almost as a joke among some football addicted, between the tables of Bar Trieste, has become over the years a basic way, almost binding, in the career of those who want to become a footballer. For many years it was in Viareggio that you had to go to find new talent, and bet on them even before being dazzled by the light of the spotlight: as Maurizio Crosetti wrote a few years ago, "a little-protected oasis and a little reserve of hunting".

The 2019 edition for all players born after 1 January 2000 (with only three players born in 1999 allowed) was rich of emotions, surprises, but above was the occasion to emphasize the women's football: for the first time it was possible to organize the Women's Cup, with eight participants. While the girls' tournament is already over, and Juventus managed to triumph against Sassuolo, the men's final will see an unusual challenge scheduled, Genoa against Bologna: the Sabatini's squad who beat Parma thanks to an amazing comeback against the other red and blue team, coached by Troise, who instead defeated Bruges only on penalties. It will certainly be an opportunity to determine who the Golden Boy will go to, the award to the best player in the tournament, and who will be the top scorer. Some names? Among the Ligurians the Hungarian striker Szabo among the most surprising players, while in the ranks of the Emilians Cossalter stands out, who has already scored three goals and is also in the running for the goleador prize.