With just one day to go the final preparations are being made and the teams are raring to show what they’ve got
The sun is sinking lower and lower here in Sardinia, as we add the finishing touches ahead of tomorrow.
The island has received a significant boost in its population as players, organisers and fans, coming from all over Europe, flock to take part in and witness the grand finale of this Euro Beach Soccer League 2018.
The teams have been training in frantic preparation for their biggest games of the year so far, the first of which will take place tomorrow.
But these 16 national sides aren’t just fighting for promotion or the European title; they will also be playing to earn a spot in the European Games Minsk 2019, for which there are eight places in total.
One is taken automatically by the hosts, Belarus, one by the winner of the Promotion Final, assuming that they are from Division B, and the remaining six will be taken by the six best finishers in Division A.
In Division A we have the eight teams competing in the Superfinal to see who will be the 2018 champions of the continent. The Division A groups are as follows…
In Group 1 we have: Azerbaijan, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland and in Group 2: Belarus, Italy, Russia and Ukraine.
The winners of each of these groups will play each other in the Superfinal at 17:45 local time on Sunday to see who will claim the European throne for 2018.
Can Russia retain their 2017 title? Can Italy clinch gold on home sand? Will Spain continue their winning ways to end the campaign unbeaten? Or will we see a new champ crowned?
In the Division B groups, there is a very different prize at stake, the chance to play top flight beach soccer in Division A next year, as eight teams will grapple in two groups of four in the Promotion Final.
In Division B Group 1 we have Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Moldova, and in Group 2, Bulgaria, England, Norway and Romania will be fighting to make it to the final on Sunday.
England are yet to be beaten in the league and their rising star, 19-year-old Cameron O’Rourke, would be the one to watch at this event. However, Kazakhstan are also yet to face defeat and with Germany vying to keep hold of their Division A status, no one will breeze through the weekend easily.
So, who will be playing Division A beach soccer next year? And who will leave sunny Sardinia as champions of Europe?
Keep up to date on all the fixtures, results and standings on the Beach Soccer Worldwide website and remember that you can watch all of the games, live and free, right here.
