Composite image of the banner style logos used during the 2018 EBSL. At each regular season stage, the main EBSL banner is joined solely by the subtitle corresponding to that stage.
Locations of the five stages and the Superfinal of the 2018 Euro Beach Soccer League
The 2018 Euro Beach Soccer League (EBSL) was the 21st edition of the Euro Beach Soccer League, the annual, premier competition in European beach soccer contested between men's national teams. It was organised by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), in a league and play-off format.
This season, teams continued to take part in two divisions, the top tier (Division A) and the bottom tier (Division B). 12 teams continued to contest Division A, consisting of the top 11 finishers from last year plus Turkey who were promoted to the top tier. Whilst Division B accommodated 15 nations: 13 nations who did not gain promotion from last season, Georgia who made their debut, plus Greece who were relegated from the top tier at the end of last season. No nations returned after an absence from competing in recent years, however, the Netherlands, who had competed in the last two seasons, did not enter this year.
A total of five stages of fixtures were scheduled during the regular season. Each team from Division A played in two stages whilst each team in Division B played in one. At each stage the participating nations earned points for the overall league tables.
At the end of the regular season, according to the league tables, the eight best teams in Division A advanced to the post-season event, the Superfinal, to compete to become the winners of this year's EBSL. Meanwhile, the top seven teams in Division B (the four group winners and three best runners-up) and the team ranked bottom of Division A played in a different post-season event, the Promotion Final, to try to earn a spot in Division A next year.
The top scorer of the 2002 season,[1]Alan of Portugal, announced his retirement on 11 June;[2] Alan competed in all 20 EBSL seasons since the inaugural edition in 1998, meaning this year marked the first EBSL season in which he did not feature.
The league also acted as the qualification route to the 2019 European Games; the top six teams of the Superfinal plus the Promotion Final winners qualified to joint hosts Belarus.[3]
Germany, the defending Division A team in the Promotion Final, beat Romania in the final to win the event, therefore retaining their Division A status for next season. Russia were the defending champions but were knocked out of title-winning contention in the group stage of the Superfinal, ultimately finishing fourth in the post-season event, just the second time (the other 2005), that Russia failed to finish in the top three. The concluding match of the Superfinal was contested between Italy and Spain, who were looking to end 13 and 12-year waits since their last respective EBSL titles (2005 and 2006). Italy, on home sand, won the match on penalties to claim their second European title.[4]
For the first time, Azerbaijan and Belarus hosted an EBSL regular season stage. It was also the first time since the 2013 season that no nations in Division B hosted a stage, only the second time this had occurred since divisions were introduced in 2002.
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),[11] in tandem with the hosting of the 2018 Women's Euro Beach Soccer Cup.
The stadium had recently been undergoing redevelopment, increasing its capacity from 1,600 to 2,200.[12] However, one part of the stadium was still awaiting upgrades,[13] meaning the new capacity figure was yet to be fully reached.
During this round, Bulgaria won a stage title for the first time (in either division).
Matches are listed as local time in Minsk, FET (UTC+3).
All matches took place at the National Beach Soccer Stadium, part of the Olympic Sports Complex in Pyershamayski District,[19] with a capacity of 1,300.[20]
With construction beginning on 8 June, the stadium was a newbuild, commissioned specifically for the purpose of hosting the beach soccer event at the 2019 European Games; this stage was organised to take place in Minsk to serve as test event for the new venue ahead of the upcoming games.[19]
There were no Division B fixtures during this stage; this contributes to the fact this was the first stage to feature just four teams since the Moscow stage of the 2013 season.
All matches took place on the site of the Sport & Beach Arena on Warnemünde Beach,[22] at the purpose built DFB Beachsoccer Arena,[23] with a capacity of approximately 1,500 seats.[24]
Georgia made their EBSL debut during this stage, the 34th different nation to compete in the league.
England claimed the Division B stage crown, meaning they won back-to-back second-tier titles for the first time.
Note: Since one group in Division B consisted of just three teams, for the teams who finished in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a group of four, their results against the 4th placed team in their groups have been discounted.[26]
Key:
Team group placement: ●1st place / ●2nd place / ●3rd place / ●4th place (Q) – Qualified to Promotion Final as a group winner (q) – Qualified to Promotion Final as a best group runner-up
Promotion Final (Alghero, 6–9 September)
Spiaggia del Lido di Alghero, the host beach of the 2018 Superfinal and Promotion Final
All matches took place at a purpose built stadium on Spiaggia del Lido di San Giovanni,[27] with a capacity of approximately 1,500.[28]
The winners of the Promotion Final earned a place in Division A next season; they also qualified for the 2019 European Games.
^ (Note two teams were ineligible to qualify to the European Games: Germany, as the team that finished 12th in Division A and Kazakhstan, who are not a member of the European Olympic Committees. In the event one of these teams was to win the Promotion Final, the next highest ranked eligible team would qualify in their place.)[29]
Qualified teams
The teams in bold qualified as Division B regular season group winners; those in italics qualified as the three best group runners-up.
The team in green attempted to retain their position in Division A, having finished bottom of the regular season table.
Germany won the event to retain their Division A status for the 2019 EBSL season; this was just the second time in ten attempts since the Promotion Final was introduced that the defending Division A team successfully won it to preserve their top tier membership (the other France in 2011). Consequently, no Division B team earned promotion to the top division and no Division A team was relegated this year.
Romania claimed the single qualification berth to the 2019 European Games available in the Promotion Final as the highest ranked team eligible to qualify in the final standings.
All matches took place at a purpose built stadium on Spiaggia del Lido di San Giovanni,[27] with a capacity of approximately 1,500.[30]
The winners of the Superfinal were crowned 2018 EBSL champions; the top six (excl. Belarus as they qualified automatically as Games hosts) also earned qualification to the 2019 European Games.
Qualified teams
The top eight teams from Division A, as per the end of regular season league table, qualified for the Superfinal.
Italian goalkeeper Simone Del Mestre on his save of Jose Enrique's penalty that won the game:[31]
"I won everything with Sambenedettese [his club team], but nothing compares to this. Before the final penalty, I turned towards the stand and I said ‘I’ve got this’. I can’t remember much after the save, but I just remember running like crazy all across the pitch."
"This group has managed to perform at a high level for a number of years, but to actually win is something entirely different. It was the climax of everything after Simone’s save and I can say without a doubt that we deserved this victory after all of the sacrifices that we made."
Awarded for feats achieved in the Superfinal only[33]
Top scorer
Ihar Bryshtel
8 goals
Best player
Llorenç Gomez
Best goalkeeper
Simone Del Mestre
Final standings
Finalists Spain and Italy faced each other for the first time in an EBSL title-decider; both teams were appearing in their second finals (the others 2014 and 2010 respectively) since they each last won their most recent titles (2006 and 2005 respectively). It was also just the second time (the other Spain vs. France, 2003) that neither Russia nor Portugal reached the final.
By winning the Superfinal, Italy ended a 13-year drought (the then current longest wait of any team with a previous title win) to claim their second EBSL crown; both titles were won on penalties. After nine successive wins, including claiming first place in the regular season, this was Spain's first loss of the season; their wait for a sixth title now continues into its 13th year.
Belarus' 5th-place finish was their joint best result (with 2016); the sixth European Games qualifier was therefore decided in the seventh place play-off between Ukraine and Azerbaijan, won by the former.
The following tables list the top 12 scorers in each division, including goals scored in both the regular and post season events. Note there is no award presented for these season-encompassing scoring feats, the tables are for statistical purposes only. Scoring awards were bestowed per stage, with the primary award that which was presented in the Superfinal.
The source of these assists stats does not explain what system was used to determine the award of an assist. The total no. of assists recorded is 341 but 714 goals were scored. The discrepancy of the source not recording an assist for every goal scored may be due to a system in use such as FIFAs assists system – (regardless of who made the final pass to the scorer, no assist is awarded when the scorer ultimately lays the goal on for him/herself via a dribble, solo run etc., scores after intercepting an opponent's pass etc.). However, since the system in use is not explained, note that assists may simply of gone undocumented.
Discipline
The following table lists the players and teams who received the most penalties for disciplinary infringements in each division in both the regular and post season events.
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