Young footballers of FK Železiarne Podbrezová are also getting ready for the new football season. Even during the summer break, they have been actively training, fine-tuning their form ahead of the competitive matches. In recent days, they have taken part in several tournaments – and have always returned home with medals.
Podbrezová U15 Wins Berger Cup
A fantastic result was achieved by the young Podbrezová players in the under-15 category. On the first weekend of August, they participated in the inaugural edition of the prestigious Berger Cup, which also featured teams such as Slovan Bratislava, Ružomberok, Košice, Prešov, and the home side Inter Bratislava.
The young “železiari (ironworkers)” not only held their own against strong competition – they went on to win the entire tournament, which is a huge success for our young team. In the group stage, they first outclassed Prešov 7:0 and defeated Slovan Bratislava 2:0. Thanks to their outstanding performances and without conceding a single goal, they advanced to the final, where Inter awaited them. The battle for the trophy was highly dramatic, ending in a draw during regular time. The winner was decided by a penalty shootout, in which our team prevailed, and so the U15 Podbrezová players lifted the winners’ cup.
The tournament in Bratislava was a showcase of Slovakia’s top U15 teams. We can take pride in the fact that it was Podbrezová who triumphed – an excellent achievement for a small club from the Horehronie region. Beating Prešov by a wide margin and defeating both Slovan and Inter is a testament to the quality of the team, the work of the coaches, and the reputation of the entire Podbrezová academy. In addition to the trophies, our boys earned a €10,000 cash prize and will also get to watch the AC Milan – ACF Fiorentina match at the famous San Siro stadium in Italy.
The Berger Cup had real prestige, being supported by football star Juraj Kucka. The event will now be held annually, each year in a different city. The successful Podbrezová squad was coached by Samuel Jabcon.
U19 in Teplice
Our oldest youth category took part in the František Hrdlička Memorial in Teplice, Czech Republic. Alongside our team, the tournament featured renowned clubs such as the hosts Teplice, Spartak Trnava, German side Cottbus, and Polish side Łódź. Podbrezová defeated Maltese team Pieta Hotspurs in the group stage but narrowly lost to Cottbus in the second match. In the bronze medal match, our boys celebrated a tight 4:3 win over the hosts Teplice. The overall victory went to Trnava. The tournament’s top scorer was our own Vladimír Jánoš.
Bronze from the High Tatras
The Podbrezová U15 team also competed in the High Tatras Cup in Tatranská Lomnica. The tournament featured strong competition, including teams from the Czech Republic. The overall winner was Slovan Bratislava, who defeated rivals from Trnava in the final. Our boys brought home a valuable bronze medal from the High Tatras.
Peter Kováčik Cup
The second edition of the Peter Kováčik Cup for U14 players was held on the football pitch in Mýto pod Ďumbierom. Slovan Bratislava emerged as the overall winner, while our boys claimed bronze. The tournament in Mýto pod Ďumbierom was excellently organized and played in a great atmosphere.
The Podbrezová U14 boys were delighted with their third-place finish at their home tournament. The awards were presented by Peter Kováčik himself – a homegrown player of FK Železiarne Podbrezová and, until last season, a member of our first team – after whom the tournament is named.
The young Podbrezová players have thus proven in all tournaments that they can compete with any team and will not falter even against strong opposition.
Article written by: Podbrezovan, Podbrezovan
