Clericus Cup

Clericus Cup

Official Clericus Cup Logo
Founded	2007
Region	Vatican City &  Italy
Number of teams	16
Current champions	Pontifical Gregorian University
Most successful club	Redemptoris Mater (3 times)
5th Season (Completed)

The Clericus Cup is an annual association football tournament contested by teams from the Roman Colleges, which are seminaries of the Catholic Church located in Rome. During the fourth season (2010), the tournament involved sixteen schools and fielded players from 65 countries, with the majority coming from Brazil, Italy, Mexico, and the United States of America.^[1] The players are normally seminarians studying to be Roman Catholic priests. A handful of players are ordained priests. The annual tournament is organized by the Centro Sportivo Italiano (CSI). The league was founded in 2007, and matches are completed for the fifth season. The sixth season will start in early 2012.

Officially, the goal of the league is to "reinvigorate the tradition of sport in the Christian community."^[2] In other words, to provide a venue for friendly athletic competition among the thousands of seminarians, representing nearly a hundred countries, who study in Rome. The league is the brainchild of the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, who is an unapologetic football fan.^[3][4] While some press outlets hinted that the Church hoped to offer a brand of football free of football hooliganism, the reality is that play on the field is intensely competitive. The teams that regularly contend for the eight play-off spots are, on the field, fierce rivals.

The League

The 2009 season drew 16 teams, representing 15 international seminaries, plus the Gregorian University. The league is divided into two sides or divisions: Division A and Division B. In 2009, Division A included four national seminaries (The Pontifical North American College, The Brazilian College, The French College, The Polish Institute) and two international colleges (San Paolo and Mater Ecclesiae). The Italian College of Sant'Anselmo, and the multinational Gregorian University rounded out Division A.^[5]

Division B included the Mexican College, The Pontifical Roman Seminary, the Urbanianum (which fields players primarily from Africa and East Asia), as well as the religious institutes Augustinianum, Sedes Sapientiae, Redemptoris Mater, and Guanelliani Internazionale (The Servants of Charity). Two schools, Almo Collegio Capranica and Pio Latino merged to field the team Almo-Pio.^[6]

The first season was played from February to May 2007. The second season began in November in of 2007 and finished on May 3, 2008. The regular season games were played at Oratorio San Pietro, on the Via di Santa Maria Mediatrice, 24.^[7] The third season was played from February to May 2009 with Redemptoris Mater winning the championship against the Pontifical North American College. The fourth season was played from February to May 2010 with the championship game again consisting of Redemptoris Mater against the Pontifical North American College. Redemptoris Mater won the championship game, 1–0, against the North American College, the same score as in 2009. The fifth season of the Clericus Cup will begin in February 2011.

Talent will continue to improve as the Cup tradition becomes established among the dozens of schools located in Rome. These schools can draw students from a worldwide pool of athletes. During the second season, the inaugural and final match were held at the site of the 1960 Summer Olympics: the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome. In the third season, the opening game was officiated by one of Italy's top referees, Stefano Farina.^[8]

News Coverage

The blue card is used for a 5-minute bench penalty for unsportsmanlike play.

Despite the league's amateur status, it has attracted the attention of the professional football community. The president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) called the inauguration of Clericus Cup III (the 2009 season) "evidence of success" of the league.^[9] the In 2009, the major Italian newspaper's covered the league as a novelty - including Corriere della Sera, Il Giornale, Corriere dello Sport, and the anti-clerical La Repubblica. Newsweek's Russian edition reported favorably on the league, noting that many football players and fans "are believers."^[10] A video featuring a player from the Urbanium's team is available on the web.^[11] Voice of America reported on the North American College's road to the championship game in 2009.

In the first two seasons, international newspapers often focused on events peripheral to the game itself. During the Clericus Cup II season, several international newspapers found the hyper-enthusiasm of the fans newsworthy. Redemptoris Mater's club, in particular, generated a very noisy fan base. The Pontifical North American College also employed a megaphone that annoyed both opposing players and neighbors alike. This led the local government to pass an ordinance banning the use of tambourines, percussion instruments, and loud speakers during morning hours - when most of the league's games are played.^[12][13][14] The media coverage has increased the profile of the league, whose talent continues to improve each year.

The British press is fascinated by the Cup's use of a blue card, which British reporters labelled "the sin bin."^[15][16] In addition to the red and yellow cards, the blue card is a 5 minute bench penalty for unsportsmanlike play.^[17] Most players have never seen it used. And this should be no surprise, since the league draws officials from the ranks of Italian club soccer.

Championship Results: 2007–2011

Year		Final				Third Place Match
		Winner	Score	Runner-up		3rd Place	Score	4th Place
2007		Redemptoris Mater	1–0	Pontifical Lateran University		Mater Ecclesiae	3–1	Sedes Sapientiae
2008		Mater Ecclesiae	2–1	Redemptoris Mater		UCro	2–1	Pontifical North American College
2009		Redemptoris Mater	1–0	Pontifical North American College		Mater Ecclesiae	2–0	Pontifical Urban University
2010		Redemptoris Mater	1–0	Pontifical North American College		Brazilian College	6–1	Guanelliani
2011		Pontifical Gregorian University	3–1	Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas		Sedes Sapientiae	1–2	Pontifical North American College

The teams

2007–2008 Season

Division A:[18] Redemtoris Mater (Neocatechumenal Way) Sedes Sapientiae (Opus Dei) Pontifical North American College College of Sant'Anselmo Pio Latino Americano College Pontifical College M.I. Apostle Saint Paul Divino Amore Oblates of the "Sons of the Madonna of Divine Love" Pontifical Gallican Seminary

Division B:[18] UCRO Ukrainian College Croatian College Pontifical Urban College Mater Ecclesia (Legion of Christ) Roman Major Seminary Salesians of Don Bosco Augustinianum Patristics Institute British Colleges United Pontifical/Venerable English Colleges Pontifical Scots College College Almo Capranica

2009 season

Division A:[19] Mater Ecclesia (Legion of Christ) Pontifical College of Saint Paul Pontifical North American College Pontifical Gregorian University College of Sant'Anselmo Polish Institute Pontifical Gallican Seminary Brazilian College

Division B:[19] Pontifical Urban College Guanelliani (Servants of Charity) Redemtoris Mater (Neocatechumenal Way) Augustinianum Patristics Institute Sedes Sapientiae (Opus Dei) Mexican College Roman Major Seminary Almo Pio College Almo Capranica Pio Latino Americano College

2010 season

Division A:[20] Pontifical College of Saint Paul Anglo-Celtic Colleges United Venerable English College Pontifical Irish College Pontifical Scots College Pontifical Beda College College of Sant'Anselmo Polish Institute Pontifical North American College Brazilian College Pontifical Gallican Seminary Redemtoris Mater (Neocatechumenal Way)

Division B:[20] Pontifical Urban College Mater Ecclesia (Legion of Christ) Pio Latino Americano College Mexican College Guanelliani (Servants of Charity) Pontifical Gregorian University Roman Major Seminary Sedes Sapientiae (Opus Dei)

See also

• Vatican City national football team

References

1. ^ http://www.clericuscup.it/public/file/ClericusCup/nazioni2010.pdf
2. ^ Broadbent, Rick (2007-05-25). "Kakas outpouring of faith brings joy to leaders within Christian community". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article1838356.ece. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
3. ^ http://www.lavanguardia.es/deportes/noticias/20090528/53712774317/el-vaticano-bendice-el-futbol-del-barsa.html
4. ^ "Can priests save Italian football's soul?". BBC News. 2008-06-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7436406.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
5. ^ "Clericus Cup I Gironi" (in Italian). CSI. 2009-11-15. http://www.csi-net.it/whitePages/sito%20clericus%20cup/gironi.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-15. 
6. ^ http://iltempo.ilsole24ore.com/roma/2009/02/19/991894-clericus_preti_calciatori_cerca_gloria.shtml
7. ^ "CLERICUS CUP: I NUMERI DEL SECONDO CAMPIONATO DI CALCIO PONTIFICIO" (in Italian). CSI. 2007-11-20. http://www.csi-net.it/whitePages/sito%20clericus%20cup/comunicati%20stampa/Com%20%20Stampa%20confernza%20stampa%2020112007.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-15. 
8. ^ http://www.repubblica.it/2009/02/sport/calcio/coppe/clericus-cup/clericus-cup/clericus-cup.html
9. ^ http://www.ansa.it/ansalatinabr/notizie/fdg/200902191152339105/200902191152339105.html
10. ^ http://www.runewsweek.ru/sport/28720/
11. ^ "ROME'S CLERICUS CUP". globalpost.com. November 15, 2009. http://www.globalpost.com/video/general/090601/italypaoloccimarinclericus-cup05282009b. Retrieved 2009-11-15. 
12. ^ The Scotsman
13. ^ Sydney Morning Herald
14. ^ Catholic News Service
15. ^ Hyde, Marina (2007-03-01). "Original sin-bin part of football's counter-reformation". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/mar/01/sport.comment2. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
16. ^ "Vatican tournament to use 'sin bin' card". BBC News. 2009-02-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7900177.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
17. ^ "Italy holds priestly 'world cup'". BBC News. 2007-02-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6382055.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
18. ^ ^{a b} "2007/08 Classification" (in Italian). Clericus Cup website. http://www.clericuscup.it/Index.aspx?idmenu=3610. Retrieved 7 August 2010. 
19. ^ ^{a b} "2009 Classification" (in Italian). Clericus Cup website. http://www.clericuscup.it/Index.aspx?idmenu=3606. Retrieved 7 August 2010. 
20. ^ ^{a b} "2010 Classification" (in Italian). Clericus Cup website. http://www.clericuscup.it/Index.aspx?idmenu=3612. Retrieved 7 August 2010. 

External links

• Clericus Cup official website (in Italian)
• CSI - Centro Sportivo Italiano (in Italian)
• Clericus Cup webpage. Pontifical North American College official website
• ABC News
• BBC News