Instigated by AS Monaco President Dmitry Rybolovlev, the first edition of the UNSEME Cup took place on Monday 29 April at La Turbie stadium. A success for the youngsters as well as their clubs.

Around a hundred teenagers, aged 14 to 15, represented their home towns at the La Turbie stadium. Eight teams were involved: La Turbie, Menton, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Cap-d'Ail, Beausoleil as well as Dolceacqua, Ospedaletti and Ventimiglia, from Italy.

The tournament was played in ideal conditions, with plenty of encouragement from Laurent Nieloux, ASM's official announcer at the Stade Louis-II, Aleksandr Golovin and Eliesse Ben Seghir, as well as Bouba, the mascot.

"We have a strong bond with AS Monaco and that bond, through the event that we are hosting today, is very important to us. Especially as sport is an important social catalyst for young people, and I'm delighted to see so many youngsters here today in this stadium," said Jean-Jacques Raffaele, Mayor of La Turbie, who attended the tournament.

Eliesse Ben Seghir (ASM), Jean-Jacques Raffaele, Mayor of La Turbie, Aleksandr Golovin (ASM) @ AS Monaco / Alain Duprat

La Turbie stadium @ AS Monaco / Alain Duprat https://youtu.be/eT1XQ4M-AkM

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ASM, supporting youth development The aim of the tournament is to strengthen the ties between AS Monaco as a club, and the young people from the surrounding communities who are members of the UNSEME programme. Through the tournament, the Monegasque club also aims to promote the pursuit of sport, which is essential for the fulfilment and well-being of the young generation.

"It's a very good idea on the part of our President Dmitry Rybolovlev, to build on our connection with the children in our area. We are very happy to be here with our neighbouring municipalities and to encourage these youngsters to play football. The aim is to use football to promote certain values, such as a taste for sports and pushing your limits. We hope to see even more children coming to cheer us on at Stade Louis-II in the future," said Thiago Scuro, ASM's CEO, who was also present.

@ AS Monaco / Alain Duprat Very positive early feedback For a first edition, the stadium was full and there was a great atmosphere, even if it soon turned to (healthy) rivalry between the players. But sport is about inclusion rather than division, and the youngsters demonstrated the values of team spirit and mutual support.

The UNSEME Cup winners: it was the team representing Cap-d'Ail that won the cup against the team from Beausoleil, 3 goals to 1. Not only did they take the Cup home, the winning team will also get the chance to meet the ASM players in the flesh!

"It was an honour to take part in the tournament, it was really cool. We were able to play with everyone, there was a lot of respect between all the teams. It's great to have been able to play in front of professional AS Monaco players. We're really happy to have won the first edition of the tournament," said Lucas, one of the Cap-d'Ail team players.

@ AS Monaco / Alain Duprat Key upcoming events: "Tous au stade" on Saturday 4 May for the home game against Clermont, as well as the 2nd edition of the Munegu Cup - President's Trophy for Principality schoolchildren aged 8 to 9, on May 28.

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