Copa del Sol facts for kids
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| Founded | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe (UEFA) |
| Number of teams | 10 (2014) |
| Current champions |  Strømsgodset IF |
| Most successful team(s) |  Shakhtar Donetsk (2 titles) |
The Copa del Sol was a special international football tournament. It was held every year in Spain, usually in January or February. This was a great time for teams from northern Europe to train during their winter break. The tournament ran from 2010 to 2014.
It was a chance for teams to practice and play matches against big clubs, especially from Eastern Europe like Russia and Ukraine. Two groups helped organize it: Swedish IEC in Sports and Norwegian Norsk Toppball. All the games were shown live on TV in countries like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. This let fans watch their favorite teams get ready for the new football season.
Contents
History of the Copa del Sol
The first tournament in 2010 was mostly played at Marbella FC's Estadio Municipal. The final game couldn't happen because of heavy rain! So, both teams that made it to the final, Shakhtar Donetsk and CSKA Moscow, were named joint winners.
The game with the most goals ever in the tournament happened in that first year. Kalmar beat Molde 6–4. Even though it was a training tournament, many fans from Scandinavia traveled to Spain to watch. Sometimes, over 1,000 people came to a match!
Tournament Changes and Winners
For the 2011 tournament, the games moved to La Manga and Elche, and more teams joined, making it 16 teams. FC Karpaty Lviv won the 2011 Copa del Sol. After the Copa del Sol moved, the Marbella Cup started up again in Marbella.
In 2012, Spartak Moscow won the tournament. The 2012 games took place from January 28 to February 7.
The 2013 tournament was held from January 23 to February 2. FC Shakhtar Donetsk won again, beating Widzew Łódź 2–1 in the final. The winning team received 80,000 euros in prize money.
The Final Tournament
The last Copa del Sol tournament was in 2014. Strømsgodset IF from Norway won it, beating Astra Giurgiu in the final. This made them the first (and only) Scandinavian club to win the competition.
In 2014, fewer big teams from Russia and Ukraine joined. Instead, teams from Latvia, Moldova, and Angola took part. Also, the TV channel that used to show the games didn't cover the 2014 tournament.
Interest in the tournament started to fade. Not many people came to watch the matches, and top teams from the Champions League and Europa League stopped joining. Because of this, the Copa del Sol was eventually stopped.
Another similar event, the La Manga Cup, also ran for many years but eventually ended for similar reasons.
Copa del Sol Results
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Date | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 |  CSKA Moscow Shakhtar Donetsk |
N/A | Match was cancelled due to heavy rain. Both teams were declared joint winners. | Marbella, Spain |
3–12 February 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | Karpaty Lviv |
1 – 0 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
Elche and La Manga Club, Spain |
27 January – 7 February 2011 | 16 |
| 2012 | Spartak Moscow |
1 – 0 |  F.C. Copenhagen |
Benidorm and La Manga Club, Spain |
28 January – 7 February 2012 | 12 |
| 2013 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
2 – 1 |  Widzew Łódź |
La Manga Club and Pinatar, Spain |
23 January – 2 February 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | Strømsgodset |
1 – 0 |  Astra Giurgiu |
La Manga Club Spain |
27 January – 6 February 2014 | 10 |
See also
In Spanish: Copa del Sol para niños
- Football Impact Cup
- Marbella Cup
- Costa del Sol Trophy
