by MK
Udine became the center of an international soccer gathering on Saturday as the Bluenergy Stadium filled for the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, featuring Udinese, Barcelona and Nottingham Forest.
The tournament drew supporters from far beyond the region, with visitors traveling to Udine specifically for the matches. In interviews around the stadium, we spoke with fans who had come from different parts of the world, turning the event into a distinctly international occasion for the city.
The tournament was broadcast in 200 countries, extending its reach well beyond the stadium and putting Friuli Venezia Giulia in front of a global television audience.
More than half of the spectators were reported to have come from outside the region, adding to the event’s impact on local tourism during one of the busiest periods of the summer.
For Udine, the significance of the tournament was visible not only on the field but in the crowd: supporters from different countries gathered in the same stadium for a single evening of soccer.
The event, organized with the support of the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government, was presented as the first edition of what organizers hope will become an international fixture in the region’s sporting calendar.
