The first edition of Europeada in 2008 arose from a competition of the marketing company Switzerland Tourism (ST), which Sedrun Disentis Tourism (SDT) and the International Cultur Forum Disentis (ICF) won with the idea of a European championship for linguistic minorities. Subsequently, the Rhaeto-Romanic cultural organization Lia Rumantscha (LR) and the umbrella organization of the European minorities FUEN also took part in the project.
The aim of the event was to draw attention to the linguistic minorities in Europe and to offer them an opportunity to network . In addition, the Surselva , the Bündner Oberland, should be presented to tourists. The event was under the patronage of the government of Graubünden and was supported by celebrities from sport and politics such as ex-Federal Councilor Adolf Ogi and Ralph Zloczower , President of the Swiss Football Association . The budget for the European championship of linguistic minorities was 230,000 francs.
The games were played according to the rules of FIFA, but the schedule was much closer together compared to the UEFA competition - the teams had to play up to six games within a week. In addition to the men, A and B juniors as well as women were admitted to the competition.
Originally, five preliminary round groups were planned, whose first-placed teams and the three best second-placed teams should move into the quarter-finals. Due to the withdrawal of the Slovenes from Italy, the Lemks and the Aromanians from Macedonia (the Aromanians did not get the Schengen visa in time), however, groups B and C were merged into group B / C. In this special group B / C there were 5 teams, but because of the schedule only 3 games per team were possible, it was drawn who should play against whom. If there was a tie in this special group, it was not the goal difference or the direct duel that decided, but the fair play rating (number of red / yellow cards). From the now four groups, the first and second group moved into the quarter-finals.
Group A
For the Welsh people , the Clwb Cymric (after the proper Welsh name: Cymraeg ) took part, in which only Welsh- speaking footballers play.
According to a census from 2002, the German minority in Poland counts around 150,000 people, the German embassy in Warsaw, on the other hand, assumes around 300,000 people, who mainly live in the Opole and Silesian Voivodeships . Since 1991, the interests of Germans in Poland have been represented by the Association of German Social-Cultural Societies.
Almost a million Germans used to live in Hungary, and many were deported to Germany or the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Today there are only about 70,000 Hungarian Germans left .
Result
Romansh
5: 1
Germans in Hungary
Welsh
0: 2
Germans in Poland
Welsh
0: 4
Romansh
Germans in Poland
4-0
Germans in Hungary
Welsh
3: 3
Germans in Hungary
Germans in Poland
3: 3
Romansh
Pl.
society
Sp.
S.
U
N
Gates
Diff.
Points
1.
Germans in Poland
3
2
1
0
009: 300
+6
07th
2.
Romansh
3
2
1
0
012: 400
+8
07th
3.
Welsh
3
0
1
2
003: 900
−6
01
4th
Germans in Hungary
3
0
1
2
004:120
−8
01
Group B / C
In Catalonia, which has 7.5 million inhabitants , Catalan is the official language before Spanish and is promoted in schools and universities, a total of five million people speak Catalan as their mother tongue (including in the Valencia region and the Balearic Islands ). The Catalans team comes from Girona .
According to the government, 26,500 Aromanians live in Romania today , including in the regions of Constanța , Tulcea and Călărași . The Aromanian team consists of players of different age groups and is intended to represent the dynamism of the Aromanian people. The early departure of the team, financially supported by the ex-world class player Gheorghe Hagi , was a disappointment for the team.
About 200,000 Karachay people live in Russia in the Karachay-Cherkessia region . At the Europeada they were represented by the “Elbrusoid” team.
The South Tyrolean team consists largely of players from the Obermais, St. Pauls, St. Georgen and Stegen (Eccelenza, 6th Italian league) and is reinforced with three professionals from the C2 series (4th Italian league). The tournament sparked great enthusiasm in South Tyrol, politicians are already talking of a possible event in South Tyrol in four years. Both German and Ladin-speaking players played in the South Tyrolean team .
A.In order for the Catalans to have three games on their account, the Rhaeto-Romans from Group A had to step in as the third opponent. The game was not rated for the Romansh.
B. The Danes received a fair play bonus and therefore rank ahead of the Aromanians.
Group D
The Croatian minority is a recognized national minority in the Vojvodina region and consists of around 74,000 people.
A selection from the German Youth Association for North Schleswig played for the German minority in North Schleswig.
The team of around 50,000 North Frisians from Schleswig-Holstein was provided by the Friisk Foriining . They were the only participating team with an all-women team.
The Roma , who originally came from India, form the largest minority in Hungary with 400,000 to 600,000 people.
Result
Germans in Denmark
19: 4
North Frisians
Croatians in Serbia
0: 2
Roma in Hungary
Croatians in Serbia
12: 1
Germans in Denmark
Roma in Hungary
46: 1
North Frisians
Croatians in Serbia
21: 2
North Frisians
Roma in Hungary
3-0
Germans in Denmark
Pl.
society
Sp.
S.
U
N
Gates
Diff.
Points
1.
Roma in Hungary
3
3
0
0
051: 100
+50
09
2.
Croatians in Serbia
3
2
0
1
033: 500
+28
06th
3.
Germans in Denmark
3
1
0
2
020:190
+1
03
4th
North Frisians
3
0
0
3
007:860
−79
00
Group E
With around 1000 speakers, the Cimbri from Italy are the smallest of the participating minorities - all players come from the municipality of Lusern in Trentino , which had 303 inhabitants in 2006.
Occitania (the southern Occitan-speaking third of France), on the other hand, even has its own national team , which, however, is not a member of UEFA or FIFA and can therefore only play friendly matches. The team has played a total of seven games so far, including one at the Viva World Cup 2006, where they lost 7-0 to the eventual winner Sápmi (Sami country) . The biggest victory she could achieve in September 2005 with 15-0 against Chechnya .
The approximately 60,000 Sorbs from Lausitz are a recognized national minority in Germany and are supported by the Foundation for the Sorbian People of the Federal Government and the states of Brandenburg and Saxony. For the Sorbs mainly young players under the age of 20 competed.
A total of 5,000 spectators followed the individual games, sometimes with very bad weather. Although this number remained below the organizers' expectations, the EM was rated as a great success. Since the idea of a European championship for the linguistic minorities was positively received and received wide media coverage in many countries, it should become a permanent establishment.
Croatians in Serbia
Romansh
Danes in Germany
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Occitania