The annual European beach volleyball festival is fast approaching: the continent`s top teams will gather in Düsseldorf, Germany, to battle for the championship title at the 33rd CEV EuroBeachVolley, taking place next week from Wednesday to Sunday.
Having secured silver in 2024, Ehlers and Wickler are now aiming for gold in Düsseldorf.
The tournament returns to Germany for the fourth time, marking its debut in Düsseldorf – the fourth city in this country, which remains the most successful in EuroBeachVolley history. The event will be held at the renowned Rochus Club and is expected to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent years, with all of Europe`s leading teams confirming their participation.
Thirty-two men`s teams have been divided into eight pools of four. Each team will play two matches under a modified pool play system. The eight pool winners will advance directly to the Round of 16, while the 16 teams finishing second and third will first compete in the Round of 24.
Men`s pool play will occur from Wednesday to Thursday, alongside the Round of 24 matches. The Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, the quarterfinals for Saturday, and the semifinals and medal matches for Sunday.
The upcoming week promises to be an exciting one for elite-level beach volleyball in Düsseldorf. As the first serve draws near, let`s continue our preview of the eight pools in each gender, this time focusing on the men`s Pools E, F, G, and H.
Pool E
World champions Perušič and Schweiner are placed in Pool E.
Teams: Ondřej Perušič/David Schweiner (Czechia), Christoph Dressler/Philipp Waller (Austria), Marco Krattiger/Leo Dillier (Switzerland) and Momme Lorenz/Tilo Rietschel (Germany)
World champions Perušič and Schweiner stand out as the clear favorites to top this pool and secure a direct spot in the Round of 16. The Czech duo has demonstrated excellent form this summer, claiming three medals in five Beach Pro Tour events, underscoring their continued status among the world`s elite teams.
Krattiger and Dillier, a new pairing in 2025, have also performed exceptionally well in their initial months together, arriving in Düsseldorf with four medals from Challenge and Futures level Beach Pro Tour events. Dressler and Waller, who similarly formed their partnership this season, haven`t achieved the same level of results as the Swiss, but possess considerable experience at this level and could deliver strong performances in Germany. The 21-year-olds Lorenz and Rietschel have proven competitive at the Futures level on the Beach Pro Tour, and next week presents an invaluable opportunity to test their skills against higher-ranked opponents.
Assuming no major upsets, the Czech pair is expected to advance in first place, with the Swiss and Austrian teams likely to secure the remaining two spots in the knockout stages. However, a young home team playing without pressure should never be underestimated.
Pool F
England`s Bello twins will face strong competition in Pool F.
Teams: Javier Bello/Joaquin Bello (England), Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot (the Netherlands), Yves Haussener/Julian Friedli (Switzerland) and Clemens Wickler/Nils Ehlers (Germany)
If any tournament has a “Pool of Death,” in Düsseldorf, it is arguably Pool F, as at least three of its four teams are strong contenders for Sunday`s medals. While the Bello twins haven`t competed extensively in 2025, their exceptional 2024 season, which included a gold medal at a Beach Pro Tour Elite event in Brazil, suggests they could return to top form at any moment.
Boermans and de Groot earned silver at EuroBeachVolley in 2021 (with de Groot repeating the feat in 2023) and have consistently been among the continent`s top teams for years. The same holds true for Ehlers and Wickler, who enjoyed the best season of their careers in 2024, securing silver at both the Paris Olympics and EuroBeachVolley, and will benefit from overwhelming home crowd support this week. Haussener and Friedli have achieved good international results in their two years as partners, but will need to significantly overperform to have a chance of progressing from this challenging group.
The Swiss team will be the dark horses in a pool where anything could happen between the English, Dutch, and German contenders. The opening match between Bello/Bello and Ehlers/Wickler could significantly influence the outcome of the pool standings.
Pool G
Polish Olympians Bryl and Łosiak are the favorites in Pool G.
Teams: Michal Bryl/Bartosz Łosiak (Poland), Jacob Hölting Nilsson/Elmer Andersson (Sweden), Lukas Pfretzschner/Sven Winter (Germany) and Eylon Elazar/Kevin Cuzmiciov (Israel)
Bryl and Łosiak, by far the most seasoned team in this pool, are the most probable candidates to finish in first place. The Polish duo is yet to claim gold in 2025, but they have consistently performed at a high international level and possess all the necessary skills to maintain control during pool play.
However, both the Swedish and German teams could pose tough challenges. Hölting Nilsson and Andersson, the reigning U22 European champions, are a rising force on the international scene and have started delivering strong results this year, including a silver medal at the Elite event in Gstaad. Pfretzschner and Winter had an excellent 2024 but have experienced a slight dip in form this season; nevertheless, they are capable of competing with anyone, especially on their home sand. Elazar and Cuzmiciov have contributed to the advancement of Israeli beach volleyball on the international stage, winning multiple medals at Beach Pro Tour Futures events over the past two years, but are likely still a tier below their current pool opponents.
It would be surprising if Bryl and Łosiak did not advance in first place, but both Hölting Nilsson/Andersson and Pfretzschner/Winter have the capacity to defeat them on a good day. Elazar and Cuzmiciov have limited chances of progressing, yet they will be prepared to cause an upset if an opportunity arises.
Pool H
Italians Dal Corso and Viscovich will reunite for EuroBeachVolley.
Teams: Paul Henning/Lui Wüst (Germany), Timo Hammarberg/Tim Berger (Austria), Gianluca Dal Corso/Marco Viscovich (Italy) and Adrián Gavira/Alejandro Huerta (Spain)
Pool H is arguably the most unpredictable group in the entire tournament, as any team could realistically finish anywhere from first to fourth without causing much surprise. The top-seeded Henning and Wüst will have the home crowd`s backing and have achieved the best results on the Beach Pro Tour among these teams, making them slight favorites to secure first place.
The young Austrians Hammarberg and Berger, who were U20 European champions in 2022, have shown consistent progress at the international level over the last two seasons. Dal Corso and Viscovich will reunite after enjoying success as partners at the Futures level in 2023 and 2024, and they will fiercely contend for a spot in the next round. The extensive experience of Gavira could be a significant factor for the Spanish duo, but they will need to overcome his prolonged inactivity in what is their first tournament together to make a notable impact.
The Spanish team starts slightly behind the others due to their very limited time playing together, but this could change rapidly with a victory in their opening match. The Germans appear to be in the best position to lead the pool, but the young and daring Austrian and Italian teams will also be aiming for the top spot.
