Yesterday we announced the list of participants for the first European Football Cup. This is what our President, Per-Anders Blind, has to say about it.

The first European Football Cup will be played in June 2015 on the Isle of Man. At this moment 11 teams already confirmed their participation.

“I am very happy and proud to be able to go public with the list of participant teams now finally”, Per-Anders Blind says. “It was long and intense process behind closed doors to make a selection of teams as nearly all our European members and more and more other teams asked us to participate. In the very beginning we invited only 12 that qualified for the European Championships through their former results and by being a CONIFA member and most of them agreed to come, which is absolutely brilliant.”

“We all in CONIFA are happy to see most of the top teams again and I am fully confident that the race for the title will be very close, like it was in Ostersund. The most amazing fact is that our members literally cover all angles of Europe: From the Caucasus to the Irish Sea and from the Polar Circle to the Mediterannean Sea! Last but not least we are very happy to be able to see some newcomers that will bring a fresh breeze into the CONIFA family. With Romani People, Franconia and Szekely 3 teams will play their first ever tournament and nearly all our members did have some action within CONIFA after 2 years then. Northern Cyprus, long term personal friends over years and an absolutely amazing team, also deserves a special remark. After a long pause they will finally come back and will try to stay on top of football outside FIFA.”

“After this selection was finally made we are now very much looking forward to the draw and then the action to begin. We are sure that the Isle of Man will be a perfect host and that those 12 teams guarantee an excellent football tournament and cultural program!”