Viitorul Cluj Football Academy organizes, in collaboration with Frickley Athletic Sports Academy from Great Britain, the first match of the SALUS Cup, a unique project that combines football with cultural exchange. The event is part of a multi-year international initiative, aimed at creating links between several communities in various European countries.
The friendly match between the U16 teams Viitorul Cluj and Frickley Athletic Academy will take place on Wednesday, April 3, from 5:00 p.m., at the Viitorul Sports Base in the Gheorgheni neighborhood (Aleea Detunata, No. 4).
The latest articles on Cluj24
PHOTO. Cluj hosts the first edition of the SALUS Cup: a FRIENDLY match with cultural and sporting stakes
The event is free and promises an energizing atmosphere, supported by comedian Dragoș Stan from Cluj.
More than a match
The SALUS Cup is a bridge between sports communities in Europe. The young British footballers will spend a few days in Cluj-Napoca, discovering the local culture, visiting tourist attractions, training and interacting with the families of the Romanian players. Also, the coaches and staff of the two teams will participate in meetings aimed at facilitating mutual training and exchange of experience.
“Our colleagues at Frickley have told us that for them a team match is not just a topic of interest for the players and their families, but an event for the whole community. This is something we also aspire to for all our matches, which is why we decided to initiate this project”, said Andra Zăvăleanu, Development Director of Viitorul Sports Club.
“Behind the performances of a young athlete are many hours of work, overcoming one’s own limits and adopting healthy values. These shape them not only as footballers, but also as adults and future respectable members of the communities to which they belong. Therefore, we hope to convince the people of Cluj to come to the match in as large a number as possible, to enjoy the event and to remember how important the values we promote are for any community: teamwork, openness to new things, mutual support, sportsmanship and supporting young people,” added Zăvăleanu.
“Our players are excited to visit Romania and play against some talented athletes. Also, the staff and their families enjoy the opportunity to learn from their Romanian counterparts. It is in the culture of our sports club to be concerned with the overall personal development of children and this project is an excellent opportunity to do so,” said John Powney, Head of Academy, Frickley Athletic.
Expansion ambitions
The organizers want the cultural and sports exchange to become an annual collaboration, with the participation of teams from various age categories. With the support of current and future sponsors, the project has the ambition to expand into Europe, including teams from Germany, Denmark, France and Poland.
Short presentation The future
“In this project we are supported by several sponsors, who helped us both financially and by facilitating international connections. With the help of SALUS Controls we got in touch with the Frickley Academy and we are going to involve in the project sports clubs and academies from other countries where the company operates.
Both SALUS and the other sponsors represent an example of involvement in the life of the community, choosing to support a small initiative, at the beginning of the road, but which can grow nicely, for the benefit of the whole community. We hope that more and more will follow their example in investing not only in popularity, but also in potential,” concluded Andra Zăvăleanu.
The sponsors of the first edition of the SALUS Cup: SALUS Controls Romania & SALUS Controls UK; Eco Wizzard (UK); Computime (Hong Kong); Lapusan & Partners (RO); Svennins (RO).
Brief History_Frickley
We invite all members of the Cluj community, adults, young people and children, to participate in the match on April 3 and support the players! It will be a unique opportunity to experience an atmosphere full of fair play, enthusiasm and team spirit, as Zăvăleanu emphasized: “We are talking about young people at the beginning of their journey, both in their sports career and in life, who can already to be models and sources of inspiration for many of us, children or adults.”
