Day 3: Les Verts win the 42nd Festival d’Armor!

The Festival d’Armor came to a close late on Monday afternoon with AS Saint-Étienne’s U17s securing victory on penalties against Paris FC, in front of a large crowd that turned out in force despite the sweltering heat. Paris FC and OGC Nice completed the podium for this year’s tournament.
That’s what you call a masterstroke: on their first appearance at the Plougonvelin tournament, the young Saint-Étienne side claimed the Crédit Agricole Challenge trophy, succeeding the Portuguese side SC Braga, two-time defending champions. They eventually overcame a strong Paris FC side in the final moments (0-0, 4-3 on penalties). Les Verts had, however, made a modest start to their campaign, with two 0-0 draws in their first two matches on Saturday, before going on to secure two victories on Sunday, which saw them finish third in the group stage and thus secure their place in the semi-finals. They had previously knocked out Stade Rennais, again in a penalty shoot-out (2-2 after full-time).
“We’re obviously very pleased with both the performance and how we held our own over the four days we spent together. We had a really good time and showed great respect for the organisers and everything that had been put in place. “We went back to the beach to celebrate our victory,” explained Saint-Étienne coach David Le Moal to the media outlet “Poteaux Carrés”. It is also worth noting that Lorik Vial, ASSE’s goalkeeper, was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper, whilst Xavier Mandza Tsiendi, OGC Nice’s midfielder, was named best player.
The final took place in temperatures rarely seen in Plougonvelin (37 degrees!), making the match a gruelling affair and putting the players’ bodies to the test. The weather did not deter the thousands of spectators who had come over the weekend to enjoy top-class football and a festive atmosphere.
Organised every year at Whitsun by US Plougonvelin, the Festival d’Armor – a FIFA-approved tournament and a national benchmark for the U15 and U17 age groups – welcomed 62 teams this year (14 U17s, 48 U15s) thanks to 350 volunteers. The tournament remains recognised as a true talent-spotting event. Several international stars have passed through the Festival over the years, including two Ballon d’Or winners: Luis Figo and Ousmane Dembélé.

Day 3: U15: Stade Brestois win hands down
In the Paysages d’Iroise U15 tournament, Stade Brestois came out on top, three years after their previous victory, by thrashing Bréquigny.
And that makes four! SB 29 secured their fourth victory in the Plougonvelin tournament following a flawless campaign. In the final, the Brest side triumphed over CPB Bréquigny with a resounding 4-0 scoreline. It was the crowning glory of a competition in which they remained unbeaten from the group stage onwards, played at the Plouzané ground. The trophy for best player was awarded to Brest’s Nacer Ibrahim Ahmed. US Concarneau finished in third place.
The U15 tournament is being held across several towns around Plougonvelin, with the top teams set to head to the Trémeur facilities for the final phase.

The Stade Brestois 29 U15 team