Organising body | Monégasque Football Federation |
---|---|
Founded | 1975 |
Region | Monaco |
Current champions | Carabiniers du Prince FC (1st title) |
Most successful club(s) | Sun Casino FC (21 titles) |
Website | Official Site |
2023–24 Challenge Prince Rainier III |
The Challenge Prince Rainier III is a domestic football cup in Monaco, featuring teams from across the country. The tournament has been organised annually since 1975 and since then has been known as the premier footballing tournament for amateur teams within the principality.
Because Monaco is not a member of UEFA, there is no qualification for the winners into either the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, or UEFA Conference League.
The tournament was created in 1975 after Prince Rainier III requested a footballing tournament in the country be played.
President of the Organizing Committee, Joseph Destefanis, recalled how the only football game of the year had an air of folklore among the players and of the palace of Monaco. At the time the teams were completed and at the request of Prince Rainier III, the competition has grown. [1]
In the first round of the competition, the teams are placed into groups for a round-robin stage. The best teams from these groups progress to the knockout rounds of the Challenge Prince Rainier III. The lower teams from each group then qualify for the knockout stages of the Trophée Ville de Monaco, the second level cup in Monaco underneath the Challenge Prince Rainier III. [2]
These are the current clubs for the 2023 season:
Club | Wins | Winning years |
---|---|---|
Monte Carlo SBM | 22 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2024 |
GEM Bâtiment | 5 | 1996, 1997, 1988, 1999, 2001 |
Ribeiro Frères | 3 | 2004, 2015, 2016 |
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east and west. The principality is home to 38,682 residents, of whom 9,486 are Monégasque nationals; it is recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. The official language is French; Monégasque, English and Italian are spoken and understood by many residents.
Monte Carlo is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter, which besides Monte Carlo/Spélugues also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille, Monaco-Ville, La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.
Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois was the father of Rainier III of Monaco. He was a promoter of art, music, and literature in Monaco and served as the head of the country's delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and to the International Olympic Committee.
Willy David Frédéric Sagnol is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently the manager of the Georgia national team.
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The Grimaldi Forum Monaco, inaugurated in 2000 and named after the historical reigning family of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi, is an international event venue located in Monte Carlo. It hosts approximately 120 events and sees 250,000 visitors annually.
The Société des Bains de Mer, officially the Société Anonyme des Bains de Mer et du Cercle des Etrangers à Monaco, is a publicly traded company registered in the Principality of Monaco. SBM owns and manages the Monte Carlo Casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo.
The Challenge Monégasque football cup is a football tournament for amateur football teams from Monaco, beginning in 1991.
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The Trophée Ville de Monaco or the City of Monaco Trophy in English, is an association football cup competition held for football clubs in the country of Monaco. It is the second-highest football competition in Monaco, behind the Challenge Prince Rainier III.
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