Final prize for Future Stars

Swedish schoolchildren will have the chance to showcase their talents in each host city prior to matches at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship as the Future Stars tournament reaches its climax.

Final prize
Children aged ten to 12 – fourth, fifth and sixth years – in the host cities of Malmo, Helsingborg, Halmstad and Gothenburg have been competing in a tournament throughout the spring with the finals of each competition to be played before a group match at the U21 Championship this June. Boys and girls in the fourth year will play their finals before the first group fixtures in their home cities, while the fifth and sixth years will get their chance before the second and third group matches respectively.

'Positive response'
In Malmo, the lucky fourth years will have the honour of playing their final ahead of Sweden's opening match with Belarus at the newly built Malmö New Stadium on 16 June. "The tournament has had a really positive response from the children," said Anders Linde, who organised the Future Stars tournament in Malmo. In that city 47 classes from 17 schools entered the tournament, and 74 matches have been completed on the way to the finals. "For the children it's been great fun, even for the ones who haven't managed to reach a final," Linde said. "And for the finalists, getting to play at the new arena is almost first prize in itself."