Draw tests amateur titans

Holders Italy and runners-up France both received tough draws in today's draw for the 4th UEFA Regions' Cup in Blois, France.

Italian test
Italy, whose representatives Piemonte Valle d'Aosta Amateur won the last competition in Germany, must travel to Bulgaria for their qualifying round games. They will face Finland and Russia as well as their hosts in Group 7.

French challenge
Meanwhile, France, whose representatives Ligue du Maine Amateur lost 2-1 to Piemonte in last June's final, also have a hard draw. Seeded as hosts of Group 1, France must overcome teams from Spain, Scotland and Belgium if they are to reach the finals of the competition.

'A very hard draw'
"These are the early stages are the competition but it is a very hard draw for France," said Ligue du Maine captain Anthony Guyard, who conducted the draw along with the chairman of UEFA's Youth and Amateur Football Committee, Jim Boyce. "Spain, Scotland and Belgium are formidable opponents."

Amateur heroes
The Regions' Cup is the only UEFA tournament dedicated entirely to amateur footballers, with teams from 37 UEFA member associations set to compete in the qualifying stages of the competition, eight of whom will take part in the showcase final tournament in 2005.

Opening stage
The competition will begin with eight teams competing in two four-team mini-tournaments in the preliminary round between 1 August and 30 September this year. The two group winners and the team designated to be the best runners-up from both groups will earn a place in the intermediary round.

Qualifying round
The qualifying round will be contested by 32 teams who have been divided into eight groups of four in order to play a series of mini-tournaments between 1 August and 30 April 2005. The winning team from each section will qualify for a place in the finals, the venue for which is yet to be decided.

Representative sides
Most of the nations involved in the draw will be represented by an amateur team from somewhere within their borders, although in a few cases, smaller nations will be represented by a team which represents the best amateur footballers in the whole country.

National competitors
Malta, Northern Ireland, Liechtenstein, San Marino and the Republic of Ireland have all chosen to send such national teams to their qualifying games, with the remainder of the national associations preferring to choose a regional side to represent them in the tournament.

'An amazing experience'
Guyard was quick to remind all the putative participants in the tournament exactly what the Regions' Cup has to offer. "For me and for all amateur footballers the Regions' Cup is a huge event," he said. "It gives us the chance to demonstrate our skills on a European stage and to play against people from other countries. It is an amazing experience."

The results of the Regions' Cup draw were as follows (associations in bold are group hosts):