Galatasaray became the first team from Türkiye to be approved to participate in the International U12 İzmir Cup. The first confirmation from Türkiye came from Galatasaray, after it had previously announced that 5 teams from Europe would participate. As a club, we gave the name of Metin Oktay, the symbol name of Turkish football history and Galatasaray, to our campus where Altınordu Football Academy (ALFA) is located.
TEAMS ARE DEFINED
As Altınordu Football Club, the number of teams that have approved their participation in the International U12 İzmir Cup, which we have been organizing since 2013 and witnessed great excitement, is increasing. After Juventus, Porto, Leicester City Benfica and PSV Eindhoven, Galatasaray Club from Türkiye informed our club in an official letter that they will participate in the U12 İzmir Cup, which will start on April 6, 2023.
IT WAS NOT DONE FOR THREE YEARS
The International U12 İzmir Cup could not be held for the last three years due to the pandemic. In the tournament that started with 8 participating teams in 2013, 72 teams came together in İzmir in 2019. 8 teams in 2013, 12 teams in 2014, 48 teams in 2015, 2016 and 2017, 56 teams in 2018 and 72 teams in 2019 participated in this organization. The champion of the tournament, organized with the motto "The World Gathers at İzmir", was Manchester City, which against PSV on penalties in the final.
WHO HAS ATTENDED SO FAR?
At International İzmir U12 Cup so far 292 different teams participated; these teams are AC Milan, Ajax, Anderlecht, Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar, Benfica, Celtic, Chelsea, Hamburg, Lazio, Leicester City, Manchester City, O. Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, PSV, Rangers FC, Valencia, SV Werder Bremen, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Twente, Zenit, Parma.