NextGen Series

Plans to create a European competition for youth footballers had long been explored. Ajax and Manchester City played a behind closed doors match in November 2010 as did Liverpool and Celtic. This was part of a trial scheme for the new competition.[4]

The goal of the tournament was to help clubs replicate the Champions League experience for younger players.

Teams were picked for the first season of the tournament through invitation. The organisers selected 16 clubs. The clubs picked for the 2011–12 tournament were:[5]

15 clubs who participated at 2011–12 tournament (with the exception of Basel) took part in 2012–13 and were joined by 9 new entrants:[5]

For the 2011–12 tournament, the 16 teams were split into four groups of four, playing each other home and away. The top two teams from each group went through to a knockout stage. The Quarter-Finals were played over one leg at the home ground of the group winners. The Final was played at the Matchroom Stadium in London on Sunday 25 March 2012, with an attendance of 3,500.[7] The 2013 Final was held at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Como, Italy on 1 April 2013.[8]

The NextGen Series trophy was manufactured by UK-based awards manufacturer Gaudio and was handed to the tournament winners.[9]

The teams participating in the NextGen series were limited to a squad size of no more than eighteen players. There was an age limit of 18 on players participating in the competition. However, each club had the option of including three players up to the age of 19, though only a maximum of two overage players were allowed to be on the pitch at any one time.[10]

Match rules for the series, other than the age cap, were the same as those stipulated by the International Football Association Board, meaning that they were identical to those of most other international tournaments.[10]