Konami today announced the launch of a new eSports tournament dedicated to eFootball: the "Coppa eFootball Italia" is a tournament based in Italy that will see the integration of eFootball partner clubs, players from their youth teams, important pro-players and, above all, fans. Here are the official details and a trailer dedicated to the event.

What is "Coppa eFootball Italia"?

The " Coppa eFootball Italia" represents a new esports opportunity for KONAMI and for football simulation. The tournament will see three different players join forces to form a team and represent each of the competing clubs. These will be: a player selected by the club's youth team, a pro-player who is currently part of the club's esports team and a fan of the club selected by an online qualifying tournament.

This unique team, made up of elite players and amateurs, together with the youth selection, represents a new fusion of its kind and unlike anything else seen in the current football simulation esports landscape.

Seven eFootball partner clubs involved

KONAMI is pleased to announce that all seven of its Italy-based eFootball partner clubs will participate in the "Coppa eFootball Italia". These are AC Milan, AC Monza, AS Roma, Atalanta BC, FC Internazionale Milano, SS Lazio and SSC Napoli.

How the competition works

Before the seven clubs compete for the title of champions of the "Coppa eFootball Italia", there will be the selections of the three representatives.

First, each club will organize an internal esports tournament among the players of its youth sectors to determine one of the representatives. This tournament will be accompanied by a seminar by the KONAMI eFootball Activations team that will provide an overview of the ever-changing world of esports and video games.

Second, an internal tournament at each club between their respective pro-players to determine who will represent them on the team.

Tournament schedule

The "Coppa eFootball Italia" is a new form of esports competition with many different elements coming together to bring it to life. The qualifiers and selections for the representative teams of the clubs and the resulting tournament will take place in stages between December 2022 and April 2023.

KONAMICI's qualifying phase will begin in February, allowing all fans to qualify for the finals. The knockout finals will conclude by the end of March 2023.

With the three-player teams representing the clubs confirmed, an offline group stage will begin where the clubs will face each other to determine their position in their respective groups. This phase will be transmitted by the study of "Coppa eFootball Italia". This phase will influence the draw for the knockout in the Grand Final weekend, in April.

Finally, once the rankings in the various groups have been established, the clubs will be drawn for the quarter-finals. From here, it will be a knockout tournament with two semi-finals, a play-off for third place (between the two clubs that will lose their respective semi-finals) and a grand final.

The Grand Final weekend will be an offline and live event hosted at Napoli COMICON on the weekend of April 28 – May 1, 2023.

The winning club will win the final prize, which includes a multimedia eFootballâ„¢ gaming centre that will be implemented in its youth training complex.

For the duration of the tournament, the official eFootballâ„¢ YouTube channel will be available for "eFootball TV", an episodic series recorded in the studio of the "Coppa eFootballâ„¢Italia".

These broadcasts will include analysis and highlights of the competition, interviews with players, appearances of players and legends from partner clubs, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look that will give fans a well-rounded view of eFootball and the eFootballâ„¢ Italia Cup.