Austria Vienna triumphs in the 38th edition of the Adam Grabka Tournament

The Adam Grabka Tournament in Krakow delivered a thrilling display of football and showcased the strength of youth football in Europe. Austria Wien claimed the title, while Wisła Kraków performed admirably, with both teams (Blue and Red) finishing on the podium in second and third place, respectively.

The competition in the Silver Group of the Adam Grabka Tournament in Krakow brought fans a wealth of excitement, surprises, and spectacular action. Eight teams from across Europe—from Scandinavia to the Balkans—demonstrated a high level of commitment and ambition, even though overall victory was no longer at stake.

Diósgyőri VTK (Hungary) kicked off the season with a convincing 2-0 victory over Spartak Subotica of Serbia, showcasing solid organization and efficiency in front of goal. Meanwhile, Nõmme United of Estonia impressed with their attacking style, outclassing Riga FC 3-0. The Estonians showed they weren't content to simply fight for the lower positions.

In a friendly clash between Finnish teams, FC Lahti defeated the RCD Espanyol academy from Helsinki 2-1, demonstrating greater experience and tactical preparation. Meanwhile, Lithuania's Zalgiris Kaunas secured a valuable 1-0 victory over Romania's Vitorul Cluj, giving them a good start and confidence heading into their next matches.

Spartak Subotica managed to recover from defeat by defeating RCD Espanyol 2-1. Despite losing the matches, the Finns from the Espanyol academy displayed ambitious, attacking play, culminating in a later victory over Vitorul Cluj in the match for 15th place (2-1). Despite their attempts, Vitorul failed to win a single match and finished last in the group.

The highlight of the group was the clash between DVTK and FC Lahti, a dynamic spectacle that ended in a 2-2 draw and a 3-1 penalty shootout victory for the Finns. Both teams demonstrated determination and high skill, which earned them promotion to the higher-tier matches. After a spectacular start, Nõmme United were forced to concede superiority to Žalgiris (0-2), but later outclassed DVTK 5-2 in the 11th-place match, displaying offensive power and pace that surpassed their rivals.

In the 13th-place match, Riga FC managed to defeat Spartak Subotic 1-0, finishing the tournament with their heads held high after their previous defeats. FC Lahti continued their good form with a 2-1 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas in the ninth-place match, ultimately finishing top of the Silver Group.

And this is what the final classification in the silver group looked like:

9th place - FC Lahti
10th place - Zalgiris Kaunas
11th place - Nomme United
12th place - Diósgyőri VTK
13th place - Riga FC
14th place - Spartak Subotica
15th place - RCD Espanyol Academy Helsinki
16th place - Vitorul Cluj

After the thrilling matches in the silver group, it was time for the final clash of the top teams, the gold round. This was where the teams that had proven themselves among the elite of European youth football in the group stage faced off. The teams competing on the pitch in Krakow included Wisła Kraków (in two squads: Red and Blue), AS Roma, Austria Wien, Bröndby IF, Zbrojovka Brno, Spartak Trnava, and Veres Rivne. The competition was fierce, evenly matched, and full of technical displays.

The competition began with a confident 1-0 victory for Zbrojovka Brno over Veres Rivne, but the real excitement came in the match between Spartak Trnava and Wisła Kraków-Blue, which ended with a resounding 4-2 victory for the Kraków team. The Poles impressed with their dynamism and efficiency, promising a fight for the top spot. Wisła Kraków-Red started equally strongly, defeating AS Roma 2-1 after a superb performance, leaving a very good impression.

Austria Wien drew 1-1 with Bröndby IF and defeated the Danes 2-0 on penalties. Roma, on the other hand, were unable to penetrate the Danish defense in their next match, drawing goalless. However, the Italians redeemed themselves in the penalty shootout, winning 2-0. Meanwhile, Spartak Trnava avenged their defeat to Wisła Blue by defeating Veres Rivne 2-0, demonstrating their ambition.

Austria showed their class against Wisła Red, winning 2-1 after a highly tactical encounter. Meanwhile, Zbrojovka Brno held Wisła Blue to a 1-1 draw in a very close encounter, but it was Wisła that advanced after winning the penalty shootout 2-0. These results determined the pairings for the final round.

Final decisions

In the 7th-place match, Bröndby IF defeated Veres Rivne 2-1, showing their solidity and fight until the final whistle. Despite a difficult start to the round, AS Roma managed to defeat Spartak Trnava 1-0 and finish in 5th place. The 3rd-place match saw true dominance from Wisła Kraków-Red, who crushed Zbrojovka Brno 4-0 and finished third.

In the grand final, Austria Wien rose to the occasion, defeating Wisła Kraków-Blue 2-0. The Austrians played with exceptional maturity and effectiveness, earning them the trophy in this year's tournament.

After the final whistle, the tournament's closing ceremony took place. In addition to team trophies, prestigious individual awards were also presented. Juri Vollaro (AS Roma) was named top scorer, Kerim Ozcelik (Austria Wien) picked up the golden glove, and Medin Ajredini (Austria Wien) was named tournament MVP.

1st place - Austria Vienna
2nd place - Wisla Kraków - Blue
3rd place - Wisla Kraków - Red
4th place - Zbrojovka Brno
5th place - AS Roma
6th place - Spartak Trnava
7th place - Brondby IF
8th place - Veres Rivne