Jesolo will host qualification for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup from Friday morning.
Twenty eight teams begin what they hope will be the road to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in the Bahamas tomorrow as European qualifiers get under way in Jesolo.
Four teams from Europe will represent the continent at the showpiece event in 2017, alongside last year’s finalists and hosts the Bahamas, with all teams training during the past two days.
Europe’s qualification procedure will last over the course of nine days on the Italian coast and will consist initially of six groups of four teams and one pool of three due to Austria’s withdrawal based on administrative reasons.
The winners and runners-up from each group will move into the second group stage along with the two third-placed teams with the best records.
To determine the ranking of the two best third-ranked teams of all the groups, only the results of the matches between the first three teams will be taken into account. Thus, the match between the 3rd and 4th placed teams will not be taken into consideration.
Hosts Italy take the number one spot in Group A and will go up against Belarus, Turkey and Serbia while defending champions and world number ones Portugal face England, Romania and Moldova.
Russia – ranked second in the world – meet Germany, Norway and Kazakhstan while Switzerland take on Greece, Netherlands and Lithuanian Group D.
Three-time runners-up Spain were drawn alongside Poland, Estonia and Denmark and Group F will see recently-crowned Euro Beach Soccer League champions Ukraine face off against Czech Republic, Austria and Georgia.
Former champions France meet Azerbaijan and Bulgaria in Group G, with all the action getting under on Friday morning.
The majority of matches will be broadcast live via www.beachsoccer.com with fixtures, standings and results also available on the website.
Friday fixtures
09.00: Belarus vs Turkey (broadcast)
09.00: England vs Romania
10.15: Bulgaria vs Hungary (broadcast)
11.30: Germany vs Norway (broadcast)
12.45: France vs Azerbaijan (broadcast)
14.00: Denmark vs Spain (broadcast)
15:15: Kazakhstan vs Russia (broadcast)
16.30: Moldova vs Portugal (broadcast)
17.45: Serbia vs Italy (broadcast)
