The 33rd CEV EuroBeachVolley, Europe`s premier beach volleyball championship, is set to kick off next week in Düsseldorf, Germany. From Wednesday to Sunday, the continent`s top teams will gather for this highly anticipated annual event.
For the fourth time, Germany will host the tournament, with Düsseldorf`s popular Rochus Club providing the venue. This edition promises to be one of the most competitive yet, featuring all of Europe`s top teams. The men`s competition comprises 32 teams, divided into eight pools of four. Pool winners will advance directly to the Round of 16, while second and third-placed teams will compete in a Round of 24.
Men`s pool play is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the Round of 24 on Thursday. The Round of 16 will be on Friday, quarterfinals on Saturday, and the semifinals and medal matches on Sunday.
As the first serve approaches, let`s delve into the 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)
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, each of their three opponents possesses the potential to challenge the “Beach Volley Vikings.”
Campos and Pedrosa have emerged as Portugal`s leading international team, with a notable victory at the 2023 Beach Pro Tour Edmonton Challenge, though their consistency has varied. Making their EuroBeachVolley debut, the German Sagstetter brothers impressed with a fifth-place finish at this year’s Ostrava Elite event. Playing at home, they could be a dangerous wildcard. Bedritis and Rinkevics, partnering since 2021, are also first-time EuroBeachVolley participants. With nothing to lose in a tough pool, they could deliver their best performance and upset their rivals.
While Mol and Sørum are highly likely to win the pool, the battle for the remaining qualification spots is wide open. The opening 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 (the Netherlands)
- Samuele Cottafava/Enrico Rossi (Italy)
The draw has placed reigning Olympic champions Åhman and Hellvig in a challenging pool as they pursue their third continental title (having won in 2022 and 2023). This group features five other Olympians and players with significant international experience.
Bássereau and Aye, who formed their partnership at last year’s EuroBeachVolley (finishing 17th), have consistently reached the top ten in Challenge events this year. Brouwer and van de Velde, though a new pairing this season, both boast prior EuroBeachVolley podium finishes with different partners, bringing considerable experience and quality to contend for medals in Düsseldorf. Cottafava and Rossi will debut as a duo in Germany. Despite lacking established chemistry, they possess the talent to defeat any opponent on their day.
All four matches in Pool B are expected to be thrilling. While Åhman and Hellvig are favored, an upset by any of their opponents is not out of the question, making this pool exceptionally difficult to predict.
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, defying expectations to become only the second Latvian team to win gold. While they haven`t replicated that success since, Plavins` vast experience combined with Fokerots` steady improvement suggests they could deliver another strong performance in Düsseldorf.
Rotar and Gauthier-Rat contributed to France`s CEV Beach Nations Cup win last year and have since partnered, achieving solid results on the Beach Pro Tour. Huster and Just, a newly formed German pair in 2024, had a promising start with a fourth-place finish at the Haikou Challenge, though they are yet to consistently match that form. Sepka and Sedlak, despite limited success beyond the Futures level on the Beach Pro Tour, were a surprise fifth-place finisher at the last EuroBeachVolley and could be poised for another deep run.
The Latvian and French duos appear to be the strongest in this pool and are likely to advance. However, determining who secures the top spot remains uncertain. While the German and Czech teams could cause an upset, they will most likely vie for the third qualification position in the elimination rounds.
Pool D
Teams:
- Hendrik Mol/Mathias Berntsen (Norway)
- Matthew Immers/Ruben Penninga (the Netherlands)
- Sergiy Popov/Eduard Reznik (Ukraine)
- Adrian Heidrich/Jonathan Jordan (Switzerland)
Mol and Berntsen have shown consistent international progress and recently helped Norway secure gold at the CEV Beach Nations Cup. Despite their strong form, they will need to perform exceptionally to meet expectations of topping Pool D.
A Paris Olympian and a EuroBeachVolley medalist, Immers is recognized as one of Europe`s top defenders, and his new partnership with Penninga has shown promising early results. Popov and Reznik earned Ukraine`s first EuroBeachVolley medal with a bronze in 2023. While they haven`t consistently matched that level since, their effective combination of a powerful blocker and a skillful defender makes them formidable opponents. Heidrich, a Tokyo Olympian, has revitalized his career this season with Jordan. This duo has a prime opportunity to build on their Futures-level success and pursue greater achievements.
The Norwegian pair has the capability to defeat the Swiss and advance. However, the outcome of the match between the Dutch and Ukrainian teams is far less predictable and could significantly influence the final standings of the entire pool.
