On 20 and 21 May 2009, the Buchlern sports complex in Zurich will play host to the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup for the third time. As per usual, matches will take place on the Wednesday preceding Ascension Day and on Ascension Day itself, with four teams from host nation Switzerland taking part alongside six further clubs from around the world.

The list of teams involved this year features a Chinese side for the very first time, with Swiss clubs Grasshoppers, FC Zurich, FC Basel and the Blue Stars set to take on the likes of Beijing Guoan, Hertha Berlin, Fenerbahce, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Flamengo in a tournament showcasing the international stars of tomorrow.

The Zurich Ministry of Sport has again guaranteed its full support of the event and temporary stands will be erected once more this year to accommodate over 5,000 spectators. Additionally, there will be a party tent with a bar and a VIP area offering further culinary delights. All this promises to foster a fantastic atmosphere, as has always been the case with previous events. The only hope is that the weather is a significant improvement on last year's rainy affair.

Beijing Guoan are the first Chinese club to take part in the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup and the boys from Beijing would appear to be a force to be reckoned with. The reigning Adidas Youth League champions boast six China youth internationals among their ranks, so it will be fascinating to see how the Asian youngsters fare against other fledgling talents from around the globe.

After an all-Swiss final last year, in which Zurich came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Basel 3-2, expect the host nation sides to provide stiff competition once again in a 2009 edition which has all the makings of a tournament to remember.

As well as the competition's first ever Chinese involvement, another development for this summer will have the best player and best goalkeeper awarded prizes in addition to the customary trophy presented to the victorious team. An expert panel of Karl-Heinz Riedle, Martin Brunner, Prisca Steinegger and Jean-Paul Brigger will be following all the matches closely to determine who receives these coveted individual awards.

More information regarding the fixture schedule and a detailed plan of events are available by clicking on the links to the right.