Fantasy football for Boyce

UEFA Youth and Amateur Committee chairman Jim Boyce described the UEFA Regions' Cup as "a competition of dreams" as Europe prepares for the qualifiers.

Impossible dream
Boyce, who is also the president of the Irish Football Association, told uefa.com: "If anyone had said ten years ago there would be a competition for European players who on a Saturday afternoon basically enjoy themselves - I think it's tremendous. Long may it continue."

Great finals
The world's top tournament for amateurs, the Regions' Cup is contested every two years with a series of qualifying mini-tournaments culminating in a final tournament. "The two finals I've been at, one in Poland, the other in Germany, have been successful and I know everyone enjoyed it," said Boyce.

Tournament magic
Boyce illustrated the magic of the competition with reference to his own association, saying: "Take the Northern Ireland team that are hosting a mini-tournament - these lads would never have dreamed of playing in a European competition. Now they are meeting countries like Latvia and Finland. They do take it very seriously but they make new friends, and it's a dream."