The new season of the youth and youth football leagues has started

Youth football is returning after the winter break, and a new season of youth and youth soccer leagues is starting. The first matches will be held this weekend. It is based on the results of these tournaments that the country's leading clubs invite the most productive athletes to join them, where they become world football stars. Izvestia correspondent Sergey Khaidarov told about this in more detail on March 5.

Even before the start of the training of the youth team of the Lokomotiv football club, there is a traditional corridor on the field. This is how football players usually welcome newcomers to the team and wish them a happy birthday. Railwaymen midfielder Daniil Dementiev turned 19 years old. But a holiday is not a reason to skip a workout. The club has an important start to the youth team season ahead of it.

"People are constantly looking at you from all over Russia, maybe even from Europe. This is a good opportunity to prove yourself," said Dementiev.

The Russian Football Union (RFU) launched the youth football League (SFL) in 2019, but the tournament has already become a conveyor belt for the supply of star youth to the clubs of the Russian Premier League (RPL). Striker Konstantin Tyukavin, who now plays for Dynamo Moscow and the Russian national team, started here, as well as a young talent from CSKA, midfielder Matvey Kislyak. Thanks to the UFL, the names of midfielders Danila Kozlov and Artyom Karpukas are now also on the radar. In this league, Alexey Batrakov, 20, from Lokomotiv, is currently the top scorer of the RPL.

"Lyosha is generally a great example. I can't say that often, but last season we showed video files, clips with his participation, and set him as an example. I think this is a super motivation for young football players," said the head coach of the FC Lokomotiv youth team.

Ilya Yeremeyev, the captain of the Railwaymen's youth team, added that the young players of the team are playing to get into the main squad, perform at the Russian Railways Arena in front of a large number of fans and show their best level of play.

Maximum attention to the tournament. UFL matches are monitored not only by breeders, but also by big coaches. The coach of the main national team, Valery Karpin, will personally evaluate the potential newcomers of the team this season and even open the league season in Krasnodar.

"Giving importance to the guys will be another message to take this tournament seriously," the specialist noted.

This tournament has become a springboard not only for football players, but also for young coaches and even referees. Although some 10-20 years ago, such a leap from juniors to grandees was something of a fantasy.

"The tournament allows us to find talented referees all over the country. If they work without mistakes, they will eventually be promoted," said Milorad Majic, head of the RFU Refereeing Department.

If only 12 football academies of the country participated in the first UFL tournament, now about 100 schools from all over Russia are competing for the championship. There is more gaming practice among young people. Before the advent of the league, the juniors played less than 300 matches a year under the auspices of the RFU. Today it is 10 times more frequent.

"Colleagues from FIFA and UEFA said that this is the best global practice among all the reserve training systems in football that exist in the world. This is the only competition in the world with a single organizer, in such a territory and with so many events," said Maxim Mitrofanov, Secretary General of the Russian Federation.

The geography and scale of the tournament will expand, the RFU promises. The task is to prepare strong youth for the clubs and the national team, football players who will become new stars.

"Yes, I couldn't leave, but I'm happy at Krasnodar."

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Football players of FC Orenburg defeated Tolyatti Akron 2-0 on February 28 in the home match of the 19th round of the Russian Premier League. In the next round, Akron will play away against Spartak Moscow on March 9, while Orenburg will host Zenit St. Petersburg a day earlier.

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