2020 Euro Beach Soccer League
Logo of the Superfinal.
Tournament details
Host countryPortugal
Dates2–6 September
Teams5 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Portugal (7th title)
Runners-up  Switzerland
Third place Ukraine
Fourth place France
Tournament statistics
Matches played10
Goals scored83 (8.3 per match)

The 2020 Euro Beach Soccer League (EBSL) was the 23rd edition of the Euro Beach Soccer League, the annual, premier competition in European beach soccer contested between men's national teams. It is organised by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW).

The season was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting a campaign completely unrecognisable to that of recent seasons. Originally due to start in June, the start of the season was postponed until September which ultimately saw the entire regular season cancelled. Therefore, all competing teams were entered straight into their respective divisions' post-season events: nations of Division A into the Superfinal, to compete to become the winners of this year's EBSL, and countries of Division B into the Promotion Final, to try to earn a spot in Division A next year.[1] However, due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, many nations chose not to participate,[2] and ultimately no competition concerning Division B took place at all.

Portugal were the defending champions and successfully retained their title, earning their seventh European crown.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Initial consequences

The preliminary 2020 EBSL season schedule was released in November 2019.[3] It was planned that the regular season, taking place during June and July, would consist of five stages of fixtures in Moscow (Russia), Naples (Italy), Nazaré (Portugal), Budapest (Hungary) and one unnamed location.[4]

In March 2020, with the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic increasing rapidly across Europe, Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) announced the suspension of all beach soccer competitions under their auspices until at least June to protect the health of all those involved.[5] In May, with the situation yet to improve, BSWW extended the suspension until September[6] – typically this is the end of the EBSL season. However, in July, with the situation in Europe easing, BSWW announced that the EBSL season would begin in August but with major format changes due to the virus's effect:[1][7]

  • Due to the extreme delay to the start of the season, the entire regular season was cancelled.
  • Only the finals (Superfinal and Promotion Final) were to go ahead; all teams were entered straight into the post-season events (usually only the top eight teams from each division at the end of the regular season enter).
  • The usual format of the post-season events was abandoned to accommodate the different number of participating teams.
  • There was no relegation from Division A (in part, this was a provision for nations in Division A choosing not to participate out of health and safety concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic – they were not penalised for making this choice).

Calendar and locations

The original calendar was revealed on 8 July 2020.[1]

Chișinău, Moldova was to host the Promotion Final from 19 to 23 August, whilst Figueira da Foz, Portugal was to host the Superfinal from 1–6 September.[1] Organisers, BSWW, stressed the schedule may be changed depending on the future state of the COVID-19 pandemic;[1] changes were subsequently made:

The local organisers in Figueira da Foz decided to defer hosting until 2021 due to the requirement of having to play their event behind closed doors this year.[8] Later, due to cross-border travel restrictions because of the pandemic, BSWW and the Moldovan Football Federation (FMF) agreed to postpone Chișinău's hosting until 2021 as well.[9]

The Superfinal was rescheduled to take place as follows,[9][2] however the Promotion Final was never rescheduled and thus no competition regarding Division B took place this season:

Phase Dates Country City Stage Divisions
Regular seasonCancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemicAB
Post-season/
Finals		2–6 September PortugalNazaréSuperfinalA
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemicPromotion FinalB

Teams

The numbers in parentheses show the European ranking of each team prior to the start of the season, out of 37 nations.[10]

Division A

With COVID-19 concerns and restrictions in mind,[11] of the 12 sides in the top tier, just five decided to participate as follows.[2] This made it the first season of the competition not to feature Italy or Spain.

Division B

None – season cancelled.

Superfinal

Matches are listed as local time in Nazaré, WEST (UTC+1)

All matches took place at the Estádio do Viveiro on Praia de Nazaré (Nazaré Beach). Due to COVID-19 concerns, the matches were played behind closed doors.[12]

The Superfinal was played in a single round-robin format, involving one group of all five teams. The team with the most points after all games were completed were crowned EBSL champions.[2]

As per the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the competition, no team was relegated to Division B this season.

Results

Pos Team Pld W W+ WP L GF GA GD Pts Result
1 Portugal (H) 44000207+1312EBSL Champions (7th title)
2  Switzerland 430012615+119Runners-up
3 Ukraine 410121413+14Third place
4 France 41003928–193
5 Germany 400041420–60

Key: (H) Hosts

Ukraine 3–3 Germany
  • Hoeveler 19' (o.g.)
  • Pashko 24'
  • Voitok 31'
 Report
  • 20', 35' Metzler
  • 36' Biermann
Penalties
  • Voitok soccer ball with red X
  • Pashko soccer ball with check mark
  • Shcherytsia soccer ball with check mark
  • Khyzhniak soccer ball with check mark
  • Zavorotnyi soccer ball with check mark
 4–3
  • soccer ball with red X Meltzer
  • soccer ball with check mark Baaske
  • soccer ball with check mark Mutulingam
  • soccer ball with check mark Nowak
  • soccer ball with red X Weirauch
France 0–7 Portugal
Report
  • 10', 11', 28' Leo Martins
  • 14' Von
  • 18' Rui Coimbra
  • 24' Lourenço
  • 26' Belchior
Switzerland 10–2 France
  • Stankovic 2', 26', 35'
  • Mounoud 5'
  • Wuest 11'
  • Ott 12', 14', 25'
  • Hodel 29'
  • Wandji 31'
 Report(ru)
  • 10' Huck
  • 15' Belhomme
Portugal 4–1 Germany
  • Bê Martins 12'
  • Bruno Torres 13'
  • Belchior 19'
  • Lourenço 22'
 Report(ru)
  • 10' (pen.) Mutulingam
Germany 4–5 France
  • Mutulingam 5' (pen.)
  • Beqiri 25', 35'
  • Metzler 35'
 Report(ru)
  • 15' Shillingford
  • 17' Gosselin
  • 23' Belhomme
  • 30' Santos
  • 35' Huck
Ukraine 2–4  Switzerland
  • Zborovskyi 8', 28' (pen.)
 Report(ru)
Switzerland 8–6 Germany
  • Wuest 4', 29'
  • Hodel 11', 21', 33'
  • Steinemann 14'
  • Ostgen 15'
  • Hoeveler 20' (o.g.)
 Report(ru)
  • 3', 26' (pen.) Biermann
  • 17', 22', 35' (pen.) Beqiri
  • 27' Meltzer
Portugal 4–2 Ukraine
  • Bê Martins 11'
  • Bruno Torres 13'
  • Batalha 20'
  • Leo Martins 30'
 Report(ru)
  • 7' Voitenko
  • 27' Voitok
Ukraine 7–2 France
  • Pashko 3', 12', 29'
  • Voitok 21'
  • Zavorotnyi 23'
  • Shcherytsia 28'
  • Voitenko 30'
 Report(ru)
  • 10', 33' Gosselin
Portugal 5–4  Switzerland
  • Leo Martins 4', 14', 34'
  • Lourenço 10'
  • Belchior 17'
 Report(ru)

Awards

Winners trophy

 2020 Euro Beach Soccer League
champions 

Portugal
Seventh title

Individual awards

Top scorer(s)
Switzerland Dejan Stankovic
8 goals
Best player
Portugal Leo Martins
Best goalkeeper
Portugal Elinton Andrade

Top scorers

Players with at least 2 goals

8 goals
7 goals
  • Portugal Leo Martins
5 goals
  • Switzerland Glenn Hodel
  • Germany Valon Beqiri
4 goals
3 goals
  • Switzerland Angelo Wuest
  • Portugal André Lourenço
  • Portugal Belchior
  • Ukraine Maksym Voitok
  • France Quentin Gosselin
  • Germany Christian Biermann
2 goals
  • Switzerland Eliott Mounoud
  • Portugal Bruno Torres
  • Portugal Bê Martins
  • Ukraine Dmytro Voitenko
  • France Sébastien Huck
  • France Stephane Belhomme
  • Ukraine Oleg Zborovskyi
  • Germany Julin Mutulingam

Source

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The 2020 beach soccer season to begin in August". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Euro Beach Soccer League match schedule confirmed". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Заглянем в будущее! На встрече Season Launch 2020 рассказали, каким будет следующий сезон" (in Russian). Beach Soccer Russia. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Что? Где? Когда? Открываем все «чёрные ящики» сезона-2020!" (in Russian). Beach Soccer Russia. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "All BSWW-organized competitions postponed until 1st June". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "BSWW to kick off season in September". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "Beach Soccer Talks #10: Season Update". Beach Soccer Worldwide – Facebook. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "Superfinal da Liga Europeia de futebol de praia adiada para 2021". ZeroZero.pt. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. 1 2 "EBSL Promotion Final moved to Nazaré (1-6 September)". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "OVERALL WORLD RANKING - EUROPE". Beach Soccer Worldwide. March 2020. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  11. ↑ The 2020 Euro Beach Soccer League is finally here! Beach Soccer Worldwide. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ↑ Devido às contingência implementadas em virtude da COVID-19, as partidas vão realizar-se à porta fechada.. FutebolDePraiaPortugal. 1 September 2020.
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