The annual European beach volleyball celebration is fast approaching! From next Wednesday to Sunday, Düsseldorf, Germany, will host the 33rd edition of the CEV EuroBeachVolley, bringing together the continent`s premier teams.
Returning to Germany for the fourth time in the tournament`s history, and to a new city within this highly successful host nation, the event at the popular Rochus Club promises to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, with every elite team confirming their participation.
The 32 men`s teams have been divided into eight pools of four. Each team will play two matches in a modified pool play system. The eight pool winners will automatically advance to the Round of 16, while the 16 teams finishing second and third will proceed to the Round of 24.
Men`s pool play will run from Wednesday to Thursday, with the Round of 24 matches also taking place on Thursday. The Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, the quarterfinals for Saturday, and the semifinals and medal matches will conclude the tournament on Sunday.
Düsseldorf is set for an exciting week of top-tier beach volleyball. As the first serve approaches, let`s delve into the initial four men`s pools: A, B, C, and D.
Pool A
Teams: Anders Mol/Christian Sørum (Norway), Hugo Campos/João Pedrosa (Portugal), Benedikt Sagstetter/Jonas Sagstetter (Germany), Ardis Bedritis/Arturs Rinkevics (Latvia)
As one of the tournament`s biggest draws, Olympic, World, and four-time EuroBeachVolley champions Mol and Sørum are the clear favorites to top Pool A and secure a direct spot in the Round of 16. However, their three opponents each pose unique threats to the “Beach Volley Vikings.”
Campos and Pedrosa have established themselves as Portugal`s leading international team, with a notable victory at the 2023 Beach Pro Tour Edmonton Challenge, though their consistency has varied since. The Sagstetter brothers, making their EuroBeachVolley debut, achieved a strong fifth-place finish at this year`s Ostrava Elite event. While still proving themselves among the elite, playing on home soil could make them formidable. Bedritis and Rinkevics, also first-time EuroBeachVolley participants, have partnered since 2021. With nothing to lose in this competitive pool, they might unleash their best performance and challenge their rivals.
While Mol and Sørum are highly likely to finish first in Pool A, the remaining three spots are wide open. The opening-day match between the Portuguese and German teams could be crucial in determining the pool`s final standings.
Pool B
Teams: David Åhman/Jonatan Hellvig (Sweden), Rémi Bassereau/Calvin Aye (France), Alexander Brouwer/Steven van de Velde (Netherlands), Samuele Cottafava/Enrico Rossi (Italy)
The draw was not kind to reigning Olympic champions Åhman and Hellvig, who begin their quest for a third continental title (following wins in 2022 and 2023) in a pool packed with five other Olympians and players possessing extensive international experience.
Bássereau and Aye formed their partnership at last year`s EuroBeachVolley, where they finished 17th, and have consistently ranked within the top ten at Challenge events this year. Brouwer and van de Velde teamed up this season, but both have previously reached the EuroBeachVolley podium with different partners, bringing significant experience and quality to contend for medals in Düsseldorf. Cottafava and Rossi will play together for the first time in Germany. Despite lacking the established chemistry of their opponents, they possess the talent to defeat any team on a given day.
All four matches in this pool are expected to be thrilling. Although Åhman and Hellvig are favored to finish atop the standings, an upset by any of their three opponents is not out of the question, making this pool highly unpredictable.
Pool C
Teams: Martins Plavins/Kristians Fokerots (Latvia), Téo Rotar/Arnaud Gauthier-Rat (France), Philipp Huster/Maximilian Just (Germany), Jakub Sepka/Jiri Sedlak (Czechia)
Plavins and Fokerots were the breakout stars of last year`s EuroBeachVolley, overcoming favorites to become only the second Latvian team to clinch gold in the event. While they haven`t replicated that exact success since, Plavins` vast experience combined with Fokerots` steady improvement suggests they could be primed for another strong showing in Düsseldorf.
Rotar and Gauthier-Rat contributed to France`s CEV Beach Nations Cup victory last year before partnering up. They`ve since achieved solid results on the Beach Pro Tour. Huster and Just also formed their partnership during the 2024 season, starting promisingly with a fourth-place finish at the Haikou Challenge, their second tournament together, though they haven`t maintained that performance. Sepka and Sedlak have primarily found success at the Futures level on the Beach Pro Tour, yet they were among the surprises of the previous EuroBeachVolley, reaching fifth place, and might be ready for another impressive run next week.
The Latvian and French teams appear to be the strongest two in this pool and should comfortably advance. However, predicting who will finish first and second is challenging. While the German and Czech teams could potentially cause upsets, they are more likely to contend for the third spot into the elimination rounds.
Pool D
Teams: Hendrik Mol/Mathias Berntsen (Norway), Matthew Immers/Ruben Penninga (Netherlands), Sergiy Popov/Eduard Reznik (Ukraine), Adrian Heidrich/Jonathan Jordan (Switzerland)
Mol and Berntsen have consistently demonstrated progress on the international stage over the past few years, fresh off helping Norway secure gold at the CEV Beach Nations Cup. However, they will need to deliver a strong performance to meet expectations as the top seed in their pool.
Matthew Immers, a Paris Olympian and EuroBeachVolley medalist, stands out as one of Europe`s premier defenders. His new partnership with Penninga has shown promising signs in its initial months. Popov and Reznik earned Ukraine`s first EuroBeachVolley medal in 2023 with a bronze finish, though they haven`t replicated that level of success since. Nevertheless, their effective combination of a tall, physical blocker and a skillful, intelligent defender makes them incredibly difficult to score against. Adrian Heidrich, a Tokyo Olympian, has revitalized his career this season with Jordan. This tournament presents a significant opportunity for the duo to build on their Futures-level achievements and pursue greater goals.
The Norwegians possess the capability to defeat the Swiss and advance. However, the outcome of the other key match, featuring the Dutch and Ukrainian teams, is far less predictable and could significantly influence the entire pool`s dynamics.
