The calendar for next season was unveiled at the Dubai Sports Council HQ ahead of the final day of the Intercontinental Cup
Beach soccer coaches, players and stakeholders attended a presentation at the Dubai Sport Council Headquarters on Saturday morning to discuss the coming season, as well as changes to the rules of beach soccer.
Senior officials from Beach Soccer Worldwide shared many new and exciting announcements concerning the coming year.
First to speak was Vice-President, Mr Joan Cusco, and he opened the subject of the coming season. “We didn’t plan the calendar just for 2020, but also for 2021, because Russia will host the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in July of 2021.”
“There is already talk of a potential second edition of the World Beach Games coming in 2021. Depending on where the next event is, the qualifiers should also be in 2020. We would like to expand the Euro Beach Soccer League but, with these things in mind, all the the qualifiers might make it difficult.”
He then turned to the game itself and proposed developments.
“We need to continue to improve our audience and we are already seeing signs of it. Yesterday [Intercontinental Cup Matchday 4] there were 700 people who were turned away from the stadium because it was so full. I think this is the first time that we’ve had such numbers in Dubai.”
Mr Cusco also had exciting news for the women’s game. “We are planning to make a women’s world championships, which one day could have the potential to become the Women’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.”
Next was the turn of Deputy Vice-President, Mr Gabino Renales, who announced a number of fresh beach soccer events. “We will be having new club events in the Canary Islands and Bali, with the structure yet to be confirmed, as well as a new edition of the World Winners Cup in Alanya, Turkey, which will take place a bit earlier in the year than the 2019 edition.”
He then turned to international competitions, starting with news on the Euro Beach Soccer League “In 2020 we will return to four regular stage events, but we will make a specific Division B event which will take place in Budapest, Hungary.”
The microphone was then taken up by Beach Soccer Worldwide’s Head of Competitions, Josep Ponset, who began discussion on a wide range of topics. “We would like to introduce you to brand new World Club Ranking. The first step was the World Winners Cup in Alanya and we currently have a total of 160 teams in this ranking.
He revealed the update to the women’s international teams ranking, and then opened a long debate into proposed alterations to the laws of goalkeeping in beach soccer.
Coaches from some of the world’s best teams, including the three nominees for Best Coach of the Year: Brazil’s Gilberto, Switzerland’s Angelo Schirinzi and Belarus’ Nico Alvarado, offered their opinions on the matter and the debate lasted over an hour.
The players in attendance also commented, including one of the most qualified to do so, Brazil’s legendary keeper, Mao.
As the discussion moved on to other issues, including penalties, handballs and disciplinaries, time eventually ran out, and after a quick group photo, everyone filed out of the conference room to prepare for the final day of competition at the Intercontinental Cup in Dubai.
*Details of the information released during the 2020 Season Launch will be announced over the coming weeks.
