Kvarnerska Rivijera is one of the oldest youth football tournaments in the world, first played in 1953. The tournament is organised by HNK Rijeka, a Croatian football club, and attracts clubs from across Europe and other continents. It is held each year during the May–June period in Rijeka, Croatia, and its surroundings, including towns in the Istria County, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Lika-Senj County. The final is commonly played in Rijeka. Until 2014, the tournament has been contested by under-19 club sides, with occasional national team participation. From 2015, the tournament features under-17 club sides.

History The tournament was first played in 1953, becoming Europe's third oldest youth football tournament after Torneo di Viareggio and Bellinzona tournament. Hajduk Split were the first winners and 1860 München the first international side to compete. Each year there were 16 participants, with the exception of 1972 and 1976–80 (32 teams), and 1985 and 2002 (24 teams). Rijeka's Ivan Kocjančić and Marijan Brnčić participated in the tournament five times, making them the record holders for most appearances.

Numerous later notable footballers have played in the tournament during their youth, including Dino Zoff, Pietro Carmignani, Giovanni Galli, Gerd Müller, Paul Breitner, Joe Jordan, Terry Yorath, Pierluigi Casiraghi, Robert Prosinečki, Alen Bokšić, Zvonimir Boban and Davor Šuker.

A number of national under-19 sides have also taken part in the tournament, including Albania, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Macedonia, United States, Tunisia, Oman, Iraq, China, Japan and South Korea.

The hosts, Rijeka, are the most successful side, winning 20 tournaments, followed by Hajduk Split with 12 titles.

Format and participating teams (2019) The 67th edition of the tournament was played from 27 May to 2 June 2019. The tournament featured 16 teams divided into 4 groups, played in Kostrena, Labin, Novi Vinodolski and Rovinj. The group fixtures were played in a single round-robin format. The top two teams in each of the four groups qualified for the first knock-out round. Two one-legged knock-out rounds were played in Mavrinci, Rovinj and Kostrena. This was followed by a one-off final and third-place play-off in Krimeja on 2 June 2019.

Croatian teams Dinamo Zagreb Orijent Osijek Pomorac 1921 Rijeka Rovinj Rudar Vinodol

International teams Albania U19 Željezničar Udinese Venezia Vardar DAC 1904 Maribor Olimpija

Winners

By year Note: Parentheses indicates the score after the penalty shoot-out.

YearWinnerRunner-upScore1953 Hajduk Split Vienna2–11954 Red Star Belgrade Rijeka3–11955 Red Star Belgrade Rijeka2–2 (8–7)1956 Vasas Budapest Ponziana Trieste3–21957 Rijeka Budućnost Podgorica4–11958 Hajduk Split Rijeka1–01959 Partizan Belgrade Hajduk Split1–01960 Rijeka Dinamo Zagreb1–1 (4–3)1961 Dinamo Zagreb Marzotto Valdagno3–3 (7–6)1962 Vasas Budapest Dukla Prague1–01963 Dukla Prague Rudar Labin6–11964 Rijeka Partizan Belgrade1–01965 Partizan Belgrade Dinamo Zagreb1–01966 Partizan Belgrade CSKA Sofia1–01967 Dinamo Zagreb Dukla Prague3–01968 Rijeka Dinamo Zagreb2–11969 Red Star Belgrade Partizan Belgrade2–11970 Burevestnik Moscow Dinamo Zagreb2–01971 Leeds United Red Star Belgrade2–11972 Hajduk Split Dinamo Zagreb6–11973 Rijeka Partizan Belgrade3–01974 Velež Mostar Dinamo Zagreb2–11975 Rijeka Fiorentina2–01976 Burevestnik Moscow Hajduk Split1–01977 Dinamo Zagreb Hajduk Split0–0 (4–3)1978 Red Star Belgrade Vojvodina Novi Sad3–3 (6–4)1979 Hajduk Split Rijeka4–01980 Hajduk Split Juventus3–21981 Dinamo Zagreb Hajduk Split2–11982 Japan Istra Pula0–0 (4–3)1983 Leeds United Hajduk Split1–01984 Dinamo Zagreb Korea3–11985 Sutjeska Nikšić Vardar Skopje5–21986 Dinamo Zagreb Red Star Belgrade1–01987 Rijeka Istra Pula2–01988 Hajduk Split Sarajevo1–1 (6–5)1989 Rijeka Istra Pula0–0 (7–6)1990 Hajduk Split Notts County1–01991 Partizan Belgrade Zadar3–01992 Rijeka Dinamo Zagreb2–11993 Rijeka Dinamo Zagreb1–01994 Hajduk Split Orijent Rijeka2–01995 Orijent Rijeka Bari1–01996 Rijeka Dinamo Zagreb2–11997 Hajduk Split Osijek3–01998 Hajduk Split Rijeka0–0 (5–4)1999 Dinamo Zagreb Osijek1–02000 Hajduk Split Perugia2–2 (3–2)2001 Rijeka Hajduk Split1–02002 Varteks Rijeka3–12003 Atlético Mineiro Hajduk Split0–0 (4–3)2004 Atlético Mineiro Rijeka4–22005 Vicenza Dinamo Zagreb0–0 (4–2)2006 Rijeka Željezničar Sarajevo1–02007 Hajduk Split Maribor2–2 (4–3)2008 Dinamo Zagreb Sparta Rotterdam3–12009 Rijeka Hajduk Split2–12010 Rijeka Istra 1961 Pula1–02011 Rijeka Slaven Belupo3–12012 Rijeka Vicenza4–12013 Abuja Academy Osijek1–02014 Rijeka Verona3–02015 Abuja Academy Domžale2–02016 Rijeka Abuja Academy1–02017 Rijeka Budućnost Podgorica0–0 (4–2)2018 Maribor Olimpija Ljubljana2–12019 Dinamo Zagreb Rijeka1–0

By club Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Rijeka 20 8 1957, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1973, 1975, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 Hajduk Split 12 8 1953, 1958, 1972, 1979, 1980, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2007 Dinamo Zagreb 10 10 1961, 1967, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1999, 2008, 2019, 2023 Partizan Belgrade 4 3 1959, 1965, 1966, 1991 Red Star Belgrade 4 2 1954, 1955, 1969, 1978 Abuja Academy 2 1 2013, 2015 Vasas Budapest 2 — 1956, 1962 Burevestnik Moscow 2 — 1970, 1976 Leeds United 2 — 1971, 1983 Atlético Mineiro 2 — 2003, 2004 Dukla Prague 1 2 1963 Orijent Rijeka 1 1 1995 Vicenza 1 1 2005 Maribor 1 1 2018 Velež Mostar 1 — 1974 Japan 1 — 1982 Sutjeska Nikšić 1 — 1985 Varteks 1 — 2002 Osijek 1 — 2024 Sturm 1 — 2022

References

External links Official website RSSSF Kvarnerska Rivijera