About tournament
How it all began?
It all began in 2008 when a nifty Masaryk University student had wished to play football just like his peers ever since he was a child. We just wanted to make his dream come true. Within a year, two teams emerged, one in Brno and the other in Prague. Within the next year a match between these two took place as part of the Czech national league. Due to the lack of match opportunities and the drive to become better, the teams regularly travel abroad. The idea to organise an international tournament in the Czech Republic came from the desire to thank all the teams from abroad who influenced us and welcomed us when we were starting out.
What’s our goal?
Bučovice Blind Football Cup is a unique sports event that will captivate even the most sworn football opponents. Our goal is to improve our football skills, to popularise this phenomenal Paralympic sport, and to establish connections with the teams from abroad. It’s extremely important to us to create an unforgettable experience filled with breathtaking sports performances which will long be remembered as well as to show the general public what blind and visually impaired people are able to achieve.
What can the audience expect?
Bučovice Blind Football Cup is the first international football tournament for blind in the Czech Republic. The best teams of Europe and also the unbeatable sorcerers from Brazil (ICB Bahia with a couple of paralympic players) and Columbia have been attending the Cup ever since 2013. The ball rattles, coaches give directions, players communicate with each other, and above all, can navigate and kick the ball with such precision that those who can see just watch in disbelief. The tournament has earned the title “the best club tournament”, mainly thanks to its friendly atmosphere and overall hospitality.
Audience’s comfort is our priority, therefore we provide
- a professional commentator of all matches so that blind players who are currently not on the field can follow the game; receiver with headphones will be available for rent from the organizers.
- mobile stand allowing audience to experience the matches while sitting;
- online stream of all matches performed by professional commentator so that people who cannot attend in person can enjoy the matches at home;
- refreshments provided by local renowned company -Frapercatering
- web app replacing the traditional paper-based notes offering various statistical data (players from both teams, goals, fouls, time, etc.) available online and on two big screens.
Moreover, matches feature the best referees in Europe, who were also at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Who are we?
We’re Avoy MU Brno, the first blind football team in Czech Republic, established in September 2008 at Masaryk University. We’ve won the Czech championship three times, we are the Central European League in 2017/18 champions. Apart from organising the Bučovice tournament we popularise the sport both at home and abroad. We organise workshops for the general public. We’ve formed a methodology for this sport and fruit of our effort is plenty of cups from numerous tournaments.
Why are we doing it?
We’ve fallen in love with the football for blind and Bučovice tournament has become our passion. We’re constantly reminded of its purpose every year through touching feedback from the participants and enormous interest of teams from abroad wishing to attend. The event’s budget is half a million Czech crown despite the fact that most of the people involved do it in their free time and for free.
We’d be thrilled if you didn’t leave us in the lurch this year and came to Bučovice this year! Thank you!
Statistics
So far, we could see on our tournament 22 teams from 15 worldwide countries - 2 from South America, the rest from Europe.
Team overview:
- Asamea Keravnos (Greece) - 2017, 2018
- Avoy Mu Brno (Czech Republic) - 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 - 3rd place, 2019 - 3rd place, 2020 - 3rd place, 2023 - 3rd place
- BFI Dublin (Ireland) - 2015
- Brussels 5-a-side Anderlecht (Belgium) - 2015, 2016, 2017 - 1st place, 2018, 2019, 2023
- BSC Praha (Czech Republic) - 2013
- Chemnitzer FC (Germany) - 2014, 2015
- FC St. Pauli (Germany) - 2013, 2014, 2015 - 3rd place, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 - 1st place, 2023 - 2nd place
- France U-23 (France) - 2020 - 2nd place
- Futbol Ciegos Cundinamarca (Colombia) - 2017 - 2nd place
- ICB Bahia (Brasil) - 2013, 2014, 2015 - always 1st place
- LÁSS Budapest (Hungary) - 2014
- Liguria Calcio Non Vedenti (Italy) - 2016
- Merseyside Blind & V.I. Football Club (England) - 2023 - 1st place
- MIK Sound (Sweden) - 2017
- MTV Stuttgart (Germany) - 2013 - 2. místo, 2014 - 3rd place
- ÖBSV Vienna (Austria) - 2018, 2019, 2023
- Pirsos Thessaloniki (Greece) - 2014 - 2nd place, 2015 - 2nd place, 2016 - 3rd place, 2019 - 2nd place, 2020 - 1st place, 2023
- Santagadea ONCE Madrid / Betis San Isidro (Spain) - 2018 - 2nd place
- SF Blau-Gelb Marburg (Germany) - 2016 - 2nd place, 2017 - 3rd place
- Wisła Kraków (Poland) - 2016, 2017, 2018
- West Bromwich Albion (England) - 2019
- Worcester BFC (England) - 2013 - 3rd place, 2014, 2015, 2016 - 1st place, 2018 - 1st place