Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup: Where Matches Last Just 45 Minutes
Three teams, three matches and an entire tournament finished in one evening. The first-ever Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup takes place in Udine on Saturday, 8 August, bringing together Udinese, FC Barcelona and Nottingham Forest for a pre-season competition with a format you do not see very often anymore. Instead of three traditional 90-minute matches spread across several days, every game lasts just 45 minutes. And if nobody is winning when those 45 minutes are up, it is straight to penalties.
Three Clubs, Three Different Leagues
The inaugural tournament brings together clubs from Italy, Spain and England at Udinese’s Bluenergy Stadium.
Hosts Udinese open the evening against Nottingham Forest at 20:00 CEST. Barcelona then face Forest immediately afterwards, before Udinese and Barça close the tournament with the third and final match.
It makes for an interesting mix. Udinese get to host two major international visitors, reigning La Liga champions Barcelona add something different to their pre-season preparations, while two-time European champions Nottingham Forest arrive after reaching the Europa League semi-finals last season.
For Forest, it will be their first-ever match in Udine. Barcelona, meanwhile, return to the city for the first time since facing Udinese in the Champions League in December 2005.
45 Minutes and Then Penalties
The format is where things get interesting. Every game lasts a single 45-minute period. Win during those 45 minutes and you receive the standard three points. Lose and you get nothing.
A draw works differently. There is no second half or extra time. Instead, the two teams immediately go to a penalty shootout. The shootout winner receives two points, while even the losing side walks away with one.
It means there is technically no such thing as a normal draw. Every match produces either a three-point winner or splits the available points two to one through penalties.
With each club playing twice, every team still gets 90 minutes of football across the evening. They just happen to play those minutes against two different opponents.
No Time to Settle In
That changes the way the matches could feel too.
Forty-five minutes leaves very little room for a slow start. Concede after ten minutes and a quarter of your entire match has already disappeared. There is no half-time team talk to reset things and no second period to turn a bad performance around.
For the coaches, it also offers something different from the usual pre-season friendly. Rather than making endless substitutions throughout one game, they can essentially treat the evening as two separate halves against two completely different teams.
And if the games remain close, supporters could end up watching several penalty shootouts in the space of one night.
More Than Another Pre-Season Friendly
The Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup is being organised by Udinese together with the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, with the tournament also designed to put the north-eastern Italian region in front of an international football audience.
Bluenergy Stadium has already hosted major European football, including the UEFA Super Cup, and now welcomes three clubs from three of Europe’s biggest leagues for the first edition of a tournament that feels very different from the usual summer friendly.
Whether the format becomes something we see more often remains to be seen. For one evening, though, pre-season football is getting a small rule change.
Three teams. Three 45-minute games. Penalties when it is level. One trophy before the night is over.
Images in this article are sourced from publicly available social media and online platforms. If you are a rights holder and wish to request removal, please contact us.
Ready for more?
If you want to read more articles about tournaments, check out our article on the best World Cup 2026 moments.
From the world’s biggest tournaments to unique cultural moments, dive deeper into the stories that shape the beautiful game. Explore more in Football.
Want to stay updated with Life After Football exclusive content, behind-the-scenes stories, and lifestyle from beyond the pitch? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram!
