Bologna
Bologna is a student city, a railway junction and a football town, home to Bologna FC at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara and to thousands of players who prefer a small pitch. MCC brings a 5-a-side tournament to Bologna in 2027. North, East and West grounds each take up to 128 teams, and each Pitch Champion earns $20,000 and a place at the Italian championship.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Bologna with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
North Bologna
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
East Bologna
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
West Bologna
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
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Calcetto among students and workers
The University of Bologna keeps tens of thousands of students in the city, and a large share of them play calcetto in faculty leagues and friendly groups. Alongside them are the office teams from the logistics firms and trade-fair companies, and the neighbourhood sides who book a synthetic pitch every week.
That mix gives Bologna plenty of ready-made squads. MCC needs five to nine players, a named Team President and a Team License, and it plays the game as two fifteen-minute halves on a stop clock; a match fits an evening easily.
How the grounds cover the city
North Bologna serves the area around the station and the Bolognina district, with the railway connections toward the Po plain. East Bologna covers San Lazzaro di Savena and the Via Emilia levante side. West Bologna reaches Casalecchio di Reno and the roads toward the Reno valley and the hills.
Most of the city is reached by bus and by regional trains, and cycling the flat centre is easy, so each ground is within reasonable reach of its catchment. One venue per ground is signed through the MCC pitch owner programme and announced here once its agreement exists.
Weather, dates and the route to the national stage
April in Bologna can be showery, May is warmer and brighter, and artificial pitches cope with both. Matches in the group stage take place on the weekends of 9, 16 and 23 April 2027; knockout games start on 30 April and the three finals are on 9 May.
The Pitch Champions from Bologna then meet teams from Milan, Rome, Naples and Turin in the national Country Championship, which runs 28 to 30 May 2027. Beyond that lies the continental stage and the World Final on 7 July 2027, for any Bologna team that keeps winning.
Why enter this one in Bologna
Local tournaments in Bologna tend to be short events: a weekend festival, a company day, a cup run by a sports centre. MCC is a full spring season with published rules, a $20,000 prize for each Pitch Champion and penalties whenever a playoff tie is level. It is for amateur teams only and enforces a zero-tolerance conduct policy.
The road out of Bologna
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Bologna
How does a team enter MCC in Bologna?
Register on this site and pick one of Bologna's three grounds: North Bologna, East Bologna, West Bologna. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Bologna?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Bologna grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Bologna?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Bologna team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Italy title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Can a Bologna university team enter?
Yes, if every player is an amateur. A faculty or student-group side needs five to nine players and a Team President, who is named on the entry along with the Team License.
Which Bologna ground should a team from Bolognina choose?
North Bologna is the closest match for Bolognina and the station area. Teams can enter a different ground if their squad lives nearer it, because every ground runs a complete round.
How long does a calcetto match last at MCC?
Two halves of fifteen minutes on a stop clock, inside a 40-minute slot. Squads can include up to nine players, and a playoff match that finishes level goes to penalties.
Do Bologna teams travel for the later stages?
The Country Championship on 28 to 30 May 2027 brings Pitch Champions from Italian host cities together, so teams should expect to travel. Later stages are further afield, up to the World Final on 7 July 2027.
Also hosting in Italy
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Bologna
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years