The Coppa Sergio Valci is an annual men's domestic round robinassociation football tournament played in the Vatican City. The competition was founded in 1973 and has been played under a variety of different formats throughout its history.
Dirseco are the most successful team in the history of the competition, having won it eight times. Santos are the reigning champions having won the competition for the second time in 2024.
Football has been played in the Vatican City since 1751 and the first modern competitions were established in 1947.[1]
The Coppa Sergio Valci was founded in 1973 as the Coppa dell'Amicizia (Italian for 'Friendship Cup') by Dr. Sergio Valci, supported by Cardinal Sergio Guerri, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City. The inaugural competition began on 2 April 1973 and was contested by three teams – Governatorato, Hermes/Musei Vaticani, Osservatore Romano, Radio Vaticani, Sampietrini, Tipografia and Vigilanza.[2] The first champions were Osservatore Romano.[3] For the 1981 season, it was renamed as the Campeonato della Citta Vaticano (Italian for 'Vatican City Championship').[4]
Although mostly contested as an 11-a-side competition, the tournament has taken on a number of formats including 5-a-side, 8-a-side and 9-a-side.[3][4]
In 2012, Dr. Sergio Valci, president of l'Attività Calcistica dei Dipendenti Vaticani (Italian for 'Football Activity of Vatican Employees') died after leading the organisation for more than 40 years. The competition had been renamed after him.[3]
Federazione Vaticanese Giuoco Calcio