Founded 1981 Website Granatkin | Current champions Slovenia (1st title) Number of teams 16 (2013–2014) | |
 | ||
Most successful club(s) Soviet Union (10 titles) | ||
The Granatkin Memorial (Russian: Мемориал Гранаткина) is a youth association football tournament which traditionally features invited national teams composed of U-17/U-18/U-19 players.
Tournament history
In 1981 in Moscow started the first Granatkin Memorial – the International youth football tournament initiated by the FIFA President Joao Havelange to perpetuate the memory of the FIFA First Vice-President Valentin Granatkin.
The tournament attracted the attention of both professionals and football fans. The matches of the Memorial were attended by the President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch. The prize to the winners was presented by Granatkin’s daughter Marina Valentinovna.
In 1981 and 1982 the tournament was held in Moscow. Since 1983 Leningrad became the Memorial residence. Till 1992 in twelve tournaments have taken part combined teams from 16 countries.
The second period of the Memorial started in the year 2001. Since that time the scheme of the competition radically changed. The number of the participants increased to 8 combined teams, which are divided into two groups. Every group plays round robin. When in play-off teams contest the places from 1 to 8.
Granatkin tournament always was a place of discoveries. Memorial was a first loud word from the future stars of world football – Andreas Moeller, Oliver Bierhoff, Carsten Jancker, Marcel Desailly, Igor Kolyvanov and Alexandr Mostovoi.