REFEREES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LENNART JOHANSSON ACADEMY TROPHY

 For the second year running, Maltese officials have been invited to participate in the Lennart Johansson Academy Trophy to be played this coming weekend in Skytteholms IP, Solna. Elite Development Referees Emanuel Grech and Ismael Barbara, National Referee Alex Johnson, and National Assistant Referee Christopher Azzopardi will be joined by other talentedUEFA and FIFA referees from Europe. Refereeingdirector during the tournament will be Markus Lejonstad from Sweden.  Together with other referees’ exchange agreements in recent years by the Malta FA Referees’ Department, this is another in the chain of opportunities which are proving to be a fruitful experience for our young and upcoming match officials’ future careers. The Lennart Johansson Academy Trophy – named after the former UEFA President Lennart Johansson – is an invitational tournament for the best clubs in Europe. Since the first edition in 2011, the vision of the tournament is to bring the "Talents of today – Stars of tomorrow" to Skytteholms IP in the city of Solna, Sweden.  The management of the tournament, together with organising partners, sponsors and staff, every year are proud to give the city of Solna an extraordinary weekend, full of ambitious players and coaches who show their love for the game of football. The organiser of the tournament is Sweden’s first division side AIK Solna’s Youth Academy.  ____________________ This year’s participatingteams form the following groups: Boys born in 2003 Group A– AIK (Sweden), Juventus FC (Italy), Rapid Wien (Austria), AC Sparta Praha (Czech Republic), Stabæk Fotball (Norway) Group B–Atletico Madrid (Spain), FC København (Denmark), HJK Helsinki (Finland), Paok FC (Greece), Viking Stavanger FK (Norway) Boys born in 2002 Group A– AIK (Sweden), FC Barcelona (Spain), FC Nordsjaelland (Denmark), NK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Stabæk Fotball (Norway)Group B– Ado Den Haag (Netherlands), Besiktas JK (Turkey), Chelsea FC (England), FC København (Denmark), FC Honka (Finland)  Girls born in 2002Group A– AIK (Sweden), FC Honka (Finland), CFF Madrid (Spain), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Stabaek Fotball (Norway)Group B– FC Twente (Netherlands), Lierse SK (Belgium), Oslo Fotballkrets (Norway), Oulu Nice Soccer (Finland), RCD Espanyol (Spain)