19 Grundschulen aus Zweibrücken und der Region: Mini-EM 2024 im Westpfalzstadion
On June 11th, 19 elementary schools from Zweibrücken and the surrounding region will be hosting their Mini-EM tournament at the Westpfalzstadion. The entire stadium will be taken over by the schools, with the kickoff for the preliminary games starting at 9:30 am.
In the 2018 Mini-WM, Spain emerged victorious, with Hilgardschule defeating the Croatia team from Pestalozzischule in the final match.
This year, Germany, a three-time European champion, will be hosting the UEFA European Championship, with the opening match taking place on June 14th, 18 years after the memorable World Cup summer where Jürgen Klinsmann’s team secured third place.
Zweibrücken, along with Rheinpfalz, hosted the Mini-WM for the first time in 2006, aiming to inspire boys and girls towards sports, physical activity, and football. Since then, four Mini-WMs and three Mini-EMs have taken place. This year, on June 11th, 19 elementary schools from Zweibrücken, neighboring Saarland, and Verbandsgemeinde Zweibrücken-Land will be participating in the EM tournament, with 24 teams competing in six groups following the real European Championship schedule.
Preparations for the games have seen students designing their team jerseys adorned with national flags. The schools are incorporating the theme into their curriculum to enhance identification with the respective countries, emphasizing the educational aspect of the Mini-EMs and Mini-WMs.
Organized by Thomas Deller and Steffi Baumann from the School and Sports Office, the event attracts a large audience, including families, classmates, and supporters who display strong identification with their schools‘ represented countries.
The tournament kicks off on Tuesday at 8:30 am with team lineups before the players enter the stadium at 8:45 am. After the welcome address, the preliminary games start at 9:30 am, with matches taking place simultaneously on four fields. The games have a duration of ten minutes, extended to 15 minutes for the semi-finals.
Following a lunch break, the tournament progresses with the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the third-place match. The final match is scheduled for 2 pm, with the award ceremony for the Zweibrücken Mini-European Champion 2024 set for 2:30 pm. Unlike the UEFA-EM, the trophy lifted by the winning team is not a rotating cup, emphasizing the desire to allow the schools to keep the trophy they earn.