FENIX Trophy

Last updated
Fenix Trophy
Fenix Trophy.png
Founded2021;3 years ago (2021)
RegionEurope
Number of teamsVaried
Current champions Flag of England.svg F.C. United of Manchester (2nd title)
Most successful club(s) Flag of England.svg F.C. United of Manchester (2 titles)
Website https://www.fenixtrophy.eu
Soccerball current event.svg 2023–24 Fenix Trophy

The Fenix Trophy is an annual football competition for semi-professional and amateur European football clubs. The competition is officially recognized by UEFA. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

First contested in the 2021–22 season, the word FENIX is an acronym and stands for Friendly – European – Non professional – Innovative – Xenial (From the ancient Greek xenos, the word examined for an attitude of resistance to strangers, with maintaining mutual respect for cultural differences).

History

Fenix Trophy Winners
SeasonWinner
2021–22 Flag of England.svg F.C. United of Manchester
2022–23 Flag of Denmark.svg BK Skjold
2023–24 Flag of England.svg F.C. United of Manchester  (2)

The Fenix Trophy was originally envisioned by Alessandro Aleotti, chairman of Italian club Brera Calcio. [4] The competition was first contested during the 2021–22 season, with the first match taking place on 21 September 2021, between German club HFC Falke and Czech club Prague Raptors. [5] The first final took place on 11 June 2022, between Prague Raptors and F.C. United of Manchester, with F.C. United of Manchester being crowned the inaugural champions. [6]

While the competition's eligibility criteria allows all clubs to compete on a similar level, the diversity of club history quickly became apparent, with many clubs founded in recent years, others have a long history that includes professional football. Examples from the competition's early history include Beveren, [7] a Belgian club notable for having played professional European football, most recently in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, and Venus București, winners of the Romanian Liga I on seven occasions.

The number of teams was increased to nine for the 2022–23 season, with Danish club BK Skjold winning the competition. For the 2023–24 season the number of teams was again increased to twelve, with F.C. United of Manchester winning their second title. [8]

Format

Qualification

Semi-professional and amateur teams from across Europe are invited to play in the competition based on exceptional social, historical and cultural significance. [9]

Tournament

The first tournament consisted of two groups of four teams, with the two group winners qualifying for the final. [10] With the addition of a ninth team for the 2022–23 season, the tournament consisted of three groups of three teams, with the winners of each group and the highest ranked second-placed team advancing to the knockout stage. The 2023–24 tournament consisted of twelve teams split into four groups of three, with the four group winners qualifying for the knockout stage. [11]

List of finals

Key
Match was won during extra time
*Match was won on a penalty shoot-out
List of Fenix Trophy finals
SeasonCountryWinnersScoreRunners-upCountryVenueAttendance
2021–22 Flag of England.svg  England FC United of Manchester 2–0 Prague Raptors Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Stadio Romeo Neri, Rimini, Italy
2022–23 Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark BK Skjold 3–0 Prague Raptors Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic San Siro, Milan, Italy
2023–24 Flag of England.svg  England FC United of Manchester 4–0 Prague Raptors Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Stadio Tre Stelle, Desenzano del Garda, Italy

Records and statistics

Performances by club

Performance in the Fenix Trophy by club
ClubWinnersRunners-upYears wonYears runner-up
Flag of England.svg F.C. United of Manchester 202022, 2024
Flag of Denmark.svg BK Skjold 102023
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Prague Raptors 032022, 2023, 2024

Participation by club

NationNo.ClubsSeasons
Flag of England.svg England (3)3 F.C. United of Manchester 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
1 Enfield Town 2023–24
1 Lewes 2023–24
Flag of Italy.svg Italy (2)2 Brera Calcio 2021–22, 2022–23
1 Lodigiani 2021–22
Flag of Poland.svg Poland (2)1 AKS Zły 2021–22
2 Kraków Dragoons 2022–23, 2023–24
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic (1)3 Prague Raptors 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands (1)2 AFC DWS 2021–22, 2022–23
Flag of Spain.svg Spain (1)2 CD Cuenca-Mestallistes 2021–22, 2022–23
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium (1)2 KSK Beveren 2022–23, 2023–24
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (1)2 BK Skjold 2022–23, 2023–24
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales (1)2 Llantwit Major 2023–24, 2024-25
Flag of Germany.svg Germany (1)1 HFC Falke 2021–22
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia (1)1 FK Miljakovac 2022–23
Flag of Finland.svg Finland (1)1 Gilla 2023–24
Flag of France.svg France (1)1 Vinsky 2023–24
Flag of Norway.svg Norway (1)1 Gamle Oslo FK 2023–24
Flag of Romania.svg Romania (1)1 Venus București 2023–24

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References

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  2. "La fiesta europea del fútbol de barrio". Levante EMV. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  3. "DWS doet mee aan de Fenix Trophy, het Europees toernooi dat ageert tegen commercie rond voetbal". parool.nl (Archived). Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "Fenix Trophy: A new shot at European glory for semi-professional and amateur clubs". BBC Sport. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  5. "FENIX Trophy: The alternative European Super League". DW News. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  6. "FC United of Manchester's road to European glory". Mancunian Matters. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  7. "Eersteprovincialer KSK Beveren trekt Europa in: "Onze spelers hebben hiervoor wel vakantie moeten nemen"". Het Nieuwsblad. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  8. "FC United of Manchester claim European trophy with 4-0 win". ESPN. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  9. "Brera Holdings' FENIX Trophy Tournament Enters Final Stage". GlobalNewswire. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  10. "Tournament 21/22". Fenix. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  11. "Tournament 23/24". Fenix. Retrieved 8 June 2024.