The technical Director of the mercury-Cups, Thorsten Horn, talks about this year's edition of the mercury-Cups. Also gear and his commitment to the tournament will be subject.

County –This is good news for all E-youth-Kicker from Freising to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Schongau to Ebersberg: this year's mercury CUP may be rescheduled from the autumn – with the current U11-age class. For many of the youngsters participating in the mercury CUP, without a doubt, is one of the Highlights in the field of youth – even if the road to Unterhaching is no easier. In any case, at the Finale, Torsten Horn (58) as the Technical Director of the tournament. In the Interview he outlined the plans for the mercury CUP and tell how much work and organization behind the largest E-Junior football tournament in the world.

Mr Horn, you are not only as a youth Director for the Bavarian football Association, but also in the mercury CUP more involved. How did it come about?

For 2016 will be awarded at the mercury CUP the fairest team. 2017 I had together with my wife Nicoletta for the great good fortune to be able to the girl team from the FC Moosinning as fair play winners to Bologna accompany. At the time, Uwe Vader asked me (the General Manager of the mercury CUP, n. d. Red.) in a casual conversation, whether I could imagine, more intense in the mercury CUP to enter. At this time I was still small-game head in Freising. In the spring of it, we met again to talk about some of the Details. My suggestions were to be left to the organising clubs from the first round of the mercury CUP game balls. Another point was that the Jersey set for the fair play winners will be delivered in the district finals more quickly. Now there are the jerseys the same at the award ceremony along with a bag in the mercury CUP colors red and blue home. That was simply the start.

As tasks in addition to defined your
about
?

First of all, I was one of many in the Orga-Team. The delivery for me is excellent, but it was a lot of work. In the anniversary year in 2019, I became a Technical Director. This was brutally exhausting. On the part of the mercury, I'm all for Organizational matters such as the application, the online is done in compliance with data protection regulation. The next step is the preparation for the draws of the groups that we have made in the jubilee year, the particular youth leader meetings, as well as putting together the welcome packets with T-Shirts and balls for the clubs. Earlier the has made the Marketing Department with the promoter inside – now that's my job. So I grabbed my Jeep and the Material from the warehouse brought. My wife and daughter have Packed everything, my basement was littered with mercury CUP-articles.

the core and is the target of the preparations for the tournament days but, of course, yourself. . .

Yes, of course. If the host clubs are, it is, of course, the contact to build and maintain, as well as all around the event before hand to clarify. At the circuit finals, the coordination with the promoter inside. What we need, when and at what venue? How and by whom it gets there? Which Controller goes to what venue? The last year was a huge challenge for us, because the Team, in the end, only Uwe Vaders and I are left. I think I was eight circuit finals in 2019 – that was hard. But it also has a lot of fun to manage it all. Before the final, I was, for example, from Thursday evening to toujours in Unterhaching, where I in fact like to'm. In the Club everything is still very familiar, and the Manni Schwabl (President of the Club, Anm. d. Red.) for me, one of the best people there are. Now I'm even a member of Unterhaching.

Currently we have to renounce all, unfortunately, on the biggest E-youth tournament in the world, because the harvest of the mercury CUP of the Corona of a pandemic has fallen victim.

first and foremost, I live, since I am going for the mercury CUP. The Central draw for the individual circles, we can, fortunately, be done in the framework of the third League game Haching against Bayern II. After that, we went with Corona and Uwe Vaders has communicated very quickly, that this year's mercury CUP must be cancelled. As for me, I have to say that honestly, of course, a world collapsed. Because it's not just the mercury CUP got it, but the complete operation of the game. The football was slowed from one Hundred to Zero.

The children could hardly less sad to have been. The current E1-boomers get the Chance, the Merkur CUP aground?

Uwe Vaders and I have already been a concept in the drawer in. Of course we want to do, unless permitted by the policy, to the mercury CUP in 2020. A possible scenario would be, because the game plans are in place Yes, to play from September onwards, the preliminary rounds as quickly as possible, and with the "old" Teams from the aborted season 2019/20. To equalize and then the schedule in the spring of 2021, we would plan the County finals in 2020 and 2021 on the same day on the same sports complex. What this looks like in Detail, I can not say today – but there will also be 2021 regular the mercury CUP. Since we are also in discussion with the sponsors, of which, thanks to the value all the way almost to the Deck remained, and even got to.

How it looks then with the game right? May a then in the new season already D-youth youth kick again in the
E -? And how it looks for players, the change now in the summer the club?

these are of course questions that we need to clarify with the Bavarian football Association. Because it comes to technical things, so the Association stuff. The now have to do directly with my job as a Technical Manager, nothing. Of course, we will try, that even the kids who have changed the club are allowed to play – for example, with a guest right. However, I can't answer that exactly, this needs to be clarified. We want to at least try, that all children had participated in the mercury CUP of the season 2019/20, can then play also.

thanks to its dual function as a Technical Director of the mercury CUP and the youth Director you know the even under normal conditions the narrow framework of the calendar. The mercury CUP, because in the autumn game plan before the bad weather weeks to integrate?

Yes, you can! But the clubs need to play the game already, because we have little time – very clear. But if you are flexible, then I must lay hold on a round the week. We have made otherwise in the spring as well. Or it will be played – as an example – on Saturday, the mercury CUP, and on Sundays, the point of the game. To the children it is no matter who want to play football. I also believe that, after what felt like three quarters of a year, the children are very happy, if it goes off again. Only the weather could be a Problem, but here in the North of Munich, it's mostly. In the South, where the early snow could fall, there are less teams and therefore less time pressure.

Bridging the football-free time, extracts from the "book of values", and the clubs can send in team photos for the mercury CUP Teams registered one. How is your evaluation to the readers?

I very much hope that many parents and football fans this article to read, which I find quite excellent. What is in there, which sucked, finally not a Reporter from the fingers, but it is a reality on many football fields. Some of it I witnessed myself. I see it as a Super-action – and hope that some parents remember when to return to football will be played. So according to the Motto "stop, stop, I should keep a bit back". With the photo campaign, we want to show the team and coaches would like to have played. (Jochen Jürgens)