Three English non league clubs and Welsh side enter European competition with group draw made

Three English non league clubs and a Welsh side enter a European competition with the group draw already made ahead of the 2023/24 season.

If you haven’t already heard already, the it’s the Fenix Trophy, which is a UEFA-sanctioned competition for semi-professional and amateur clubs.

The 12-team tournament recognises community focus and social purpose, with it going into it’s third edition after seeing FC United of Manchester win the inaugural competition in 2021, but unfortunately couldn’t reach that stage this year and settled on the third place decider with that game and the final staged at the San Siro in Milan. See more on that my clicking HERE.

FC United line up – San Siro, Milan@FenixTrophy
8th June 2023 pic.twitter.com/VeO6qvXrBN

— FC United of Manchester 🟥⬜⬛ (@FCUnitedMcr) June 8, 2023

Over the last few weeks, the Fenix Trophy Twitter account revealed who would be taking part next season, and much to our surprise, it features three English non league clubs and a Welsh team.

It wouldn’t be the Fenix Trophy if it didn’t include Northern Premier League Premier Division side FC United of Manchester, they will be back for a third time hoping for glory again.

Also joining them is Lewes FC of the Isthmian League Premier Division.

LEWES STATEMENT

“Hey guys, guess what?! We are going on a European Tour!!!

“We are really proud to announce that our men’s team have been invited to take part in the UEFA-sanctioned Fenix Trophy, an invite-only competition, for clubs playing at a non-professional level with exceptional community focus, social purpose and an innovative approach to the future of the game.

“This will be the third season that the season has taken place.  Last season tournament was won by FC Skjold of Copenhagen who beat Prague Raptors in the San Siro in Milan.

Key FAQs
How many teams are involved?
Twelve teams involved with four groups of three.

How do you enter?
The tournament is invite-only, making a it huge privilege to be asked. Kudos to our Chair Stu for his negotiations behind the scenes to secure us an invite.

Will we be able to watch the games from abroad if we can’t make the trips?
It is expected that all games will be streamed via the official Fenix Trophy YouTube Channel. The games will feature double commentary, both in the home team’s and away team’s language.

When will the games be played?
Once the draw has taken place, we will work with our group opponents to find suitable dates.  Last season the first group matches took place in October, with the finals taking part in early in June.  We are likely to play two games before Christmas and two between January and early April.

What is the format?
It is four groups of three teams, with the four group winners, going through to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals are one-leg, and played at a neutral venue in Italy, with the Finals and 3rd/4th Play-off taking place the following day.  Last season the Semi-Finals were played in the historic Arena Civica in Milan, whilst the following day the Final and 3/4th games were played at the San Siro in Milan.  Before anyone gets too excited, unfortunately a different venue in Italy will be used next season.

✈️ We aren’t the only Sussex club going on a European tour!!

We are extremely proud to announce that we have been invited to play in this year’s @FenixTrophy 🏆

It is a @UEFA-affiliated competition with teams from all over Europe!

Full story…⤵️ #COYR🔴⚫️

— Lewes FC Men (@LewesFCMen) July 24, 2023

The third English club invited is Enfield Town also from the Isthmian League Premier Division.

ENFIELD TOWN STATEMENT

Sing it with us… We’re All Going On A European Tour!

We are thrilled to announce that Enfield Town have accepted an invitation to play in this season’s edition of the Fenix Trophy, a UEFA-approved European competition for non-professional clubs of exceptional social, historical, and cultural distinctiveness.

This is the third season of the tournament, with 12 teams taking part from right across the continent.

Last season’s tournament was won by Copenhagen side BK Skjold, who beat Prague Raptors in the final in Milan.

⚽️ Think London only has one European team this year? Think again!

🛫 We’re proud & delighted to have been invited to take part in this season’s @FenixTrophy – a UEFA-sanctioned competition for non-league sides across Europe. Get those passports ready, Towners!

📱 Read More:

— Enfield Town FC (@ETFCOfficial) July 27, 2023

So, time to discover the much anticipated draw, which also includes Welsh club Llantwit Major…

GROUP A
BK Skjold
Enfield Town
Llantwit Major FC

GROUP B
Prague Raptors
FC Venus București
Gilla FC

GROUP C
FC United of Manchester
Vinsky FC
Krakow Dragoons FC

GROUP D
KSK Beveren
Lewes
FC Oslo

Three English non league clubs and Welsh side enter European competition with group draw made

The Fenix Trophy, an annual European football competition between semi-professional and amateur clubs, was founded in 2021 by the Italian football club Brera Calcio. The competition is officially recognised by UEFA.

The word FENIX is an acronym for Friendly – European – Non professional – Innovative – Xenial (From the ancient Greek xenos, the word examined for an attitude of resistance to strangers, with maintaining mutual respect for cultural differences).

Season 2021-22

 There were 2 pools with 4 teams each. Afterwards, the clubs played against each other in Rimini, Italy, based on their final position.

Prague Raptors and FC United of Manchester winners of their group played the final on June 11, 2022 in the Stadio Romeo Neri, which was won by Manchester 0-2.

The following teams participated:

German club HFC Falke (Hamburg)
Italian club AS Lodigiani (Rome)
Spanish club CD Cuenca-Mestallistes (Valencia)
Czech club Prague Raptors (Prague)
Italian club Brera Calcio (Milan)
English club FC United of Manchester (Manchester)
Dutch club AFC DWS (Amsterdam)
Polish club AKS Zły (Warsaw)

Season 2022-23

For the 2022-23 season, 3 groups of 3 teams each were formed. The winners of the pools and the best 2nd took part in the Final 4 in Milan.

The following teams took part in the second season:

Belgian club KSK Beveren (Beveren)
Serbian club FK Miljakovac (Belgrade)
Spanish club CD Cuenca-Mestallistes (Valencia)
Czech club Prague Raptors (Prague)
Italian club Brera Calcio (Milan)
English club FC United of Manchester (Manchester)
Dutch club AFC DWS (Amsterdam)
Polish club Krakow Dragoons FC (Krakow)
Danish club BK Skjold (Copenhagen)

At the end of the season, FC United of Manchester, BK Skjold, Prague Raptors (who all won their groups) and Brera Calcio (which was also selected as the best 2nd in the groups) played the Final 4. These were played on June 4, 2023 in the Arena Civica, BK Skjold won 3-2 against FC United of Manchester and Prague Raptors FC won 1-0 against Brera FC. The final was played on Thursday, June 5, 2023 in the iconic San Siro, where BK Skjold was 3-0 too strong for Prague Raptors FC.