A much-anticipated event for all schoolchildren in the Principality, the Munegu Cup returned this Tuesday!
Smiles, enthusiasm, and camaraderie marked this fourth edition of the Munegu Cup, which brought together nearly 420 schoolchildren this Tuesday at the Stade Louis II, at the initiative of President Dmitry Rybolovlev.
Eight Monegasque schools represented
Divided into forty teams, the 8- and 9-year-old Monegasque schoolchildren from the CE2 classes of the Révoires, Fontvieille, Condamine, Saint-Charles, François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré (FANB), Cours Saint-Maur, and International School of Monaco (ISM) schools, as well as, for the first time, the British School of Monaco, kicked off the competition at 9:30 a.m. with the group stage.
On the pitch usually graced by Denis Zakaria, Maghnes Akliouche, and their teammates, which was divided into eight fields for the occasion, each team played a minimum of four matches, all refereed by middle school students from the Principality who are members of the National Union of School Sports (UNSS). The entire event was cheered on by Bouba, the Club's mascot, and hosted by Laurent Nieloux, the AS Monaco announcer. At the end of the morning, as the first round delivered its verdict, six of the eight schools still had at least one team in contention and qualified for the round of 16, leaving the suspense at its peak… A group stage in which the Saint-Charles school particularly distinguished itself, advancing five teams to the round of 16.
FANB succeeds Saint-Charles in the presence of Takumi Minamino
The final stage of the tournament offered particularly hard-fought matches, rich in intensity and unexpected twists. Boosted by the encouragement of their already eliminated teammates and under the watchful eyes of the Year 5 students from Cours Saint-Maur, reporters for Top Sport magazine, the teams from the International School of Monaco and the Institution François d’Assise–Nicolas Barré (FANB) finally secured their qualification for the final of this fourth edition of the Munegu Cup.
The final was played in an electrifying atmosphere, in front of CEO Thiago Scuro, Takumi Minamino, and the Deputy Director of National Education, Youth and Sports (DENJS), Rémy Garoscio. And so the AS Monaco President's trophy finally went this year to FANB, winner of this 4th edition of the Munegu Cup, writing their name for the second time in the tournament's list of winners.
“Connecting with local youth”
During the awards ceremony, Thiago Scuro, CEO of AS Monaco, and Rémy Garoscio, Deputy Director of the DENJS (National Directorate of Youth and Sports), congratulated all the participants and thanked everyone who contributed to the event’s success.
“Connecting with local youth is a priority for AS Monaco. The practice of sports, a sense of teamwork, and pushing oneself to the limit are values we uphold and wish to pass on,” explained Thiago Scuro. “This is a very important event for the Club; it’s wonderful to see children from Monegasque schools having fun and playing here at the Stade Louis-II.” The Deputy Director of the DENJS also wanted to “thank AS Monaco, and especially its President, for this initiative. Thanks to the close collaboration between our Directorate and the Club, the students are having a particularly enriching sporting and personal experience.”
Alongside them, Takumi Minamino mingled with the crowd, signing autographs and posing for selfies to the delight of the children.
"I'm very happy to be here. It's an excellent initiative by the club, allowing children to play sports and have a great time here at the Stade Louis-II. I think it's important, as players, to connect with young people; it can really motivate them and inspire them to improve," said the Japanese international. This final expression of joy marked this fourth edition of the Munegu Cup, which all these Monegasque schoolchildren will remember for a long time, were as they all left with some wonderful gifts, such as a complete AS Monaco kit, a special AS Monaco activity book, and a commemorative medal.
