2014 brings new elements to the prestigious top-flight Beach Soccer league of Switzerland, more teams and more events
One of the brightest and most competitive Beach Soccer National Champions worldwide, the Suzuki Swiss Beach Soccer League, will be expanded this year to 31 teams, comprising women and youth teams, and will travel to 11 locations. The men will again play in two different divisions with promotion and relegation between the Premier League (NLA) and Challenge League (NLB). The league will make stops in common cities such as Liestal and Birr but will also turn to new and attractive destinations like Oberurdorf and Horn am Bodensee. The finals will be held from 23 to 24 August in the bay of Spiez.
The Suzuki Swiss Beach Soccer League is one of the most prominent and recognizable Beach Soccer competitions around the world. Defending champions, the Sable Dancers from Bern, won in 2013 against the previous year’s winner Grasshopper Club Zurich and will look to defend their title. The Grasshopper have a very talent laden roster that includes the adidas Golden Ball and Golden Shoe award winner at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009, Dejan Stankovic. Last season, more than 40 national players from around the world joined the Suzuki Swiss League, dispersed through the teams´ rosters, confirming the increasing level of this competition.
As always, the league will also feature the Woman-League (Frauen NLA), and the U17-League (Junioren). It was a heartbreaking end of the season last year for Grasshopper because they not only lost in the men´s league final but also the women´s as Beachkings Emmen defeated Grasshopper Club Zürich 5-3 in their 2013 finale.
The locations and dates for the 2014 season are as follows:
May 10th-11th – Group Stage in Solothurn (CIS Sports Center)
May 17th-18th – Preliminary Round in Oberurdorf (Urdorffäscht)
June 14th-15th – Preliminary Round in Basel (St. Jacob sports facilities)
June 21st-22nd – Preliminary Round in Horn am Bodensee
July 6th – Preliminary round in Zurich HB
July 12th-13th – Preliminary Round in Thun (Stock Horn Arena)
July 19th-20th – Preliminary Round in Emmen (Rossmoos)
July 26th-27th – Preliminary Round in Birr
August 2nd-3rd – Playoffs in Neuchâtel (Jeunes Rives)
August 8th – Cup Final Men in Liestal (Badi hard Gitterli)
August 9th-10th – Playoffs in Liestal (Badi hard Gitterli)
August 22nd – Women’s´ Cup final at the bay of Spiez
August 23rd-24th – Finals at the bay of Spiez
More information at www.beachsoccer.ch
pic: beachsoccer.ch
