Working Group meet in BSWW headquarters

Representatives from the top four leagues in Europe hold meeting to plan next steps in the season

Beginning the 2018 season, we find ourselves in a key period for decision making and planning. With this idea in mind, Europe’s working group have met today at BSWW’s headquarters near Barcelona to discuss some important aspects 

Pedro Dias, Sports Director of the FPF (Portuguese FA), Ferdinando Arcopinto, from the FIGC (Italian FA), Sergei Shamrai, head of Beach Soccer at the Russian Football Association (RFU) and Raul Sus, from the RFEF (Spanish FA) have joined Joan Cusco, BSWW Executive Vice-President, Gabino Renales, Deputy Vice-president, Josep Ponset, BSWW Director of Competitions, and Joana Soares, BSWW Head of Legal, for an enriching conversation about the next steps to take for the sports growth in the region. 

Issues dealt with were the fitting of National Championships within the European season, the circulation of players or the relationship between the National Championships and the National Team, amongst many others. 

Some of the conclusions of the meeting were:

– For the Euro Winners Cup 2018, and due to the shortage of time and in order to support teams’ commitments, the quota of foreign players will be extended to four (4), with only three (3) of them being included in each match. As of 2019, the quota will go down to the afore-announced three (3). 

– Football Associations and National Leagues agreed to protect National Team matches in case they clash with external National Championship dates, so that all eligible players are available for their respective National Team at that moment. 

– The four European leagues represented in the meeting agreed to delimit the European season within April and September, during which period, and as of 2019, a player will only be entitled to take part in two (2) different National Championships in Europe.  

– The participants also agreed to share the live streaming of their National Championship so that it is broadcasted through BSWW’s Official Website/Live Stream, thus creating a common meeting point for fans all over the World where to follow these National Championships. 

Joan Cusco, BSWW Executive Vice-president, highlighted the importance of such meetings: “it is key for the development of the sport to understand every point of view, and to put our knowledge in common so that we can find the best solutions for the coming episodes. We all seek the best for beach soccer, the teams and the players, so it makes full sense to share ideas and make joint decisions”.

This Working Group committed to keep holding these meetings on a regular basis, so to oversee the development of the decisions made, and the way they fit with the competitions to come.