Schaerbeek hosts 'mini-Champions league' for European football stars of tomorrow

Paris-Saint-Germain, Juventus and Manchester City - big football is coming to Brussels. We are not talking about the Champions League but the Crossing Cup, one of Europe's largest youth football extravaganzas.

The tournament was started in 2001 as an initiative of a group of football enthusiasts from Schaerbeek. "Brussels is at the centre of Europe, but other than the occasional Champions League matches, it’s been lacking in terms of top-level sporting events,” says Michel De Herde, deputy mayor of Schaerbeek.

"So one day, the guys behind the local football club decided to turn things around and create a tournament for boys from Belgium, France, England and Germany. They put a lot of hard work into it and they succeeded."

Fifteen years on, the Brussels Football European Cup - or Crossing Cup for short - has grown to be one of the largest youth football tournaments in Europe, bringing together well over 1,000 young footballers aged 10 and under from 14 different countries.

Among the participating teams are names that need no introduction, including Manchester City, Ajax, Everton and West Ham United. All of them will hone in on Schaerbeek for a three-day football celebration starting on 26 March. New this year is the addition of a team from China.

"This is where the big stars are born," says Geert Pierre, one of the volunteers for the tournament. "Memorise the names of the kids playing here because I'm sure that in 10 years time some of them will be world class players. Who knows, maybe we'll catch a glimpse of the next Messi or Ronaldo."

Gary Riley from Manchester City's youth academy, one of the participants, says: "It's safe to call it a mini-Champions League. We play a lot of football in England, but at this tournament, the game is definitely on a higher level. It's essential that we compete against teams like Juventus or PSV Eindhoven because this will help the boys become better footballers."

With so many big teams signed up, Schaerbeek is setting the stage for a true international tournament, but the cup's organisers say their aim is to preserve a neighbourhood feel. Pitted against the European powerhouses will be local underdogs, including the hosts Crossing Schaerbeek.

"It's important that we maintain a mix of famous clubs and smaller teams," says Pierre. "All of these boys are very talented, but for many of them, this might be the only opportunity to ever play against such well-known brands. Now they're coming to compete in a real European tournament. What an amazing experience."

Because of its multicultural spirit, Pierre considers Brussels to be the perfect place to host the cup. "A few years ago, I ran into a Portuguese guy who told me that what he really misses about home is the climate, his mum's cooking, and of course watching his local football team.

"The tournament is about the love of the game. If you want to see real football without all the business and without all the money, this is it. And if you ever find yourself missing your home team, then there is no better opportunity to support them."

The Brussels Football European Cup will take place from 26-28 March.