NEWS
Spain & Italy Champions 2022
The European Footvolley Championship 2022 was a thrilling competition that saw some of the best footvolley teams from across the continent come together to compete for the coveted title. The event was held in Rome, Italy, with both men's and women's categories being contested.
The European Footvolley Championship 2022 was a thrilling competition that saw some of the best footvolley teams from across the continent come together to compete for the coveted title. The event was held in Rome, Italy, with both men's and women's categories being contested.
In the men's category, Juan Lopes and Facu Silva from Spain emerged as the champions after a hard-fought final against the home nation, Italy. The Spanish team put on a commanding performance, winning the match 18:13 and 18:15. The Italian team put up a valiant fight, but ultimately could not match the skill and precision of their opponents.
In the women's category, the Italian team with Sara Cupellini & Elisa Mainardi managed to claim the championship in front of their home crowd, beating Evelyn Dobbinga & Emmelie Van Der Velde of the Netherlands in a tense final. The Italian women displayed excellent attacks and a lot of spirit, winning the match 13:18 and 13:18.
The entire tour in 2022 was a success, and demonstrated the growing popularity of the sport across Europe. With such a high level of competition and skill on display, it's clear that footvolley is a sport to watch in the coming years.
Brazil still on top
Last weekend we saw some amazing footvolley when the first ever EFVL World Challenge was held in Graz, Austria. Teams from all around the world gathered at the beautiful and historical Freiheits Platz to find out who are the best teams in the world.
Last weekend we saw some amazing footvolley when the first ever EFVL World Challenge was held in Graz, Austria. Teams from all around the world gathered at the beautiful and historical Freiheits Platz to find out who are the best teams in the world.
Brazil has “always” been known for having the best footvolley players in the world. They have a lot of dedicated players and many high level tournaments all year around. However, footvolley in Europe is growing fast and the top nations in Europe, like Portugal, Israel, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, are eager to push Brazil down from the crown. And every year they come a little bit closer to achieving this goal.
Learn more: The European Ranking for men | The European Ranking for women
The EFVL World Challenge gathered teams from 12 nations, for both men and women. We applaud the organization for putting together such a nice tournament and for giving us incredible images and memories.
MEN: A battle between Brazil and Israel
If we have a look at the male tournament this was likely to become a battle between Brazil and Israel. Brazils Franklin and Hiltinho are by many concidered to be the best team in the world, but Ron Ben Ishay & Maor Haas from Israel are getting closer and closer every year. Their level has improved a lot the last three years and they are now a force to be reckoned with. Would they be able to beat the Brazilians this time around?
The outsiders were the strong Italian team, with Federico Iacopucci & Alain Faccini, the new German team, with Joel Nisslein & Lukas Kicherer and the solid Spanish team, with Juan López & Facu Silva. Also Austria, with the two teams Klemens and Jakob Hofmann-Wellenhof and Jakob Rauch & Daniel Neuhold, the Netherlands, with Ben Sparenberg & Antonio Aurino and Norway, with Martin Haven & Magnus Kyte, attended from Europe. Unfortunately we did not see a French team as they were not able to attend.
We also got to meet teams from other nations around the world, like Betto Lima & Dalan Telles from the USA, Taufiq Khairi & Amirul Iskandar from Singapore.
Learn more: See full schedule and results
Learn more: See male groups and team pictures
Quarter finals
As the tournament progressed we saw the quarter finals with no real surprises:
| 🇮🇱 Israel | vs | 🇦🇹 Austria 2 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | vs | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | vs | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | vs | 🇦🇹 Austria 1 |
🇮🇱 Israel vs 🇦🇹 Austria 2
The young Austrian team came into the tournament in the last minute as the French team was not able to attend. They played well against the strong Israelian team, but in the end they lost 18:11, 18:10. It is nice to see new teams coming up in Austria that can challenge the best Austrian team in the last 5 years, Klemens and Jakob Hofmann-Wellenhof.
🇧🇷 Brazil vs 🇳🇱 Netherlands
No doubt the Dutch had an unlucky draw and they had to face the tournament favourites Brazil. During the game the Dutch figured out that it was impossible to score enough points just by playing “normal” footvolley and they decided to start a rally of shark attacks. This made this game one of the most entertaining games of the tournament. In the end Brazil won 18:10 and 18:7.
🇩🇪 Germany vs 🇮🇹 Italy
But, the prize for the most entertaining game of the tournament went to the tight game between Germany and Italy. Here we saw a battle between the future of European footvolley. In the end the Germans came out stronger and beat the Italians 18:8, 17:19 and 18:16. We had a lot of long rallies, all kinds of shark attacks and eagle attacks and with the lead switching constantly.
🇪🇸 Spain vs 🇦🇹 Austria 1
The local team Austria 1 are always in the quarter finals fighting for a spot in the semi finals. This time they had to face the experienced Juan Lopez and the new prodigy Facu Silva. Their playing style is very similar with great defense and a lot of attacking angles and short balls. With the help of the home crowd the Austrians were able to win the first set 18:15. The Spaniards quickly came back with a 18:8 win in the second set and we had to go into a third and deciding set to 15 points. This was very close, but the Spaniards proved to be the stronger team and came out with a 15:11 score - and a win.
Semi finals
This gave us the following games for the semi finals:
| 🇮🇱 Israel | vs | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | vs | 🇩🇪 Germany |
🇮🇱 Israel vs 🇪🇸 Spain
The Spaniards came out hard in this match and had a lead in the middle of the first set. But after that this game was all about the Israelians. They showed no mercy and stepped up their game to win it 18:14 and 18:6. Facu and Lopez realized they had met a better team - but can look back at a very good tournament with a lot of great games.
🇧🇷 Brazil vs 🇩🇪 Germany
This time around the Germans were unlucky and had to face the tournament favourites in the semi finals. They played another Brazilian team in Cascais just a couple of weeks earlier and they were close to beating them. So, the only thing they could do was to try. And once again they showed us how much talent they have between them and gave the Brazilians a fight for the money. Still, Brazil proved to be stronger and won the game 18:10 and 18:8.
Finals
🇧🇷 Brazil vs 🇮🇱 Israel
As predicted the final would be a game between the favourites Brazil and the up and coming Israel. This was a great game to watch with a lot of spectacular defense and attacks. Both teams showcased some of the best footvolley skills we have ever seen and the highlights from the finals are highly entertaining. Brazil came out as the winners with a winning score of 18:14 and 18:11.
In the game for third place Spain beat Germany 18:8.
Photo: Carina Müller
Photo: Carina Müller
WOMEN: Who could challenge Brazil
We also had a 12 team tournament for the women and the clear favourite was of course Brazil, with Lane & Ray. In the last couple of years Norway has been the strongest European team, but Pernille & Henriette, the twins from Norway, were not able to attend and Norway sent a team with no international experience. The winners of last years European Championship, Austria 1, with Julia Rauch and Antonia Missethan, clearly was the team we thought would give Brazil a fight for the title and the Spanish sent a strong team with Yoselin Silva Vera & Itziar Cid Echevarría. However, we got a few surprises as the tournament progressed and two familiar names ended up in the final against Brazil.
Learn more: See full schedule and results
Learn more: See female groups and team pictures
Quarter finals
Portugal, with Mariana & Rafaela Veiga, Norway, with Cecilie Reiersen & Anne Aune, Sweden, Elin Astrid Gustafsson & Julia Jonasson and Germany 1, with Nicole Kraus & Lea Storzum, did not get into the quarter finals after losing their matches. Closest was Germany 1 in their tight game against Israel. In the last and final set they lost 15:11 and they were out of the tournament.
| 🇦🇹 Austria 2 W | vs | 🇩🇪 Germany 2 W |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil W | vs | 🇪🇸 Spain W |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands W | vs | 🇦🇹 Austria 1 W |
| 🇮🇹 Italy W | vs | 🇮🇱 Israel W |
🇦🇹 Austria 2 W vs 🇩🇪 Germany 2 W
This game was very close, but the Austrians took charge and won 18:16 and 18:10. The second team of Austria, with Nina Steinbauer and Tina Kulhanek, suddenly could see themselves in the semi final.
🇧🇷 Brazil W vs 🇪🇸 Spain W
The Spanish girls had to face the favourites already in the quarter finals. They gave them a good fight, but in the end they lost 18:10 and 18:7. Even if they lost this is a solid result against a much more experienced team from Brazil.
🇳🇱 Netherlands W vs 🇦🇹 Austria 1 W
In this game we had the European favourites Austria 1 against a strong Dutch team with Evelyn Dobbinga & Emmelie van der Velde. This was probably the tightest game of the tournament and the lead was switching from side to side throughout the game. In the first set the Dutch girls won 24:22. After this they took command of the second set and won 18:11. What a match and what a great performance from the Dutch ladies.
🇮🇹 Italy W vs 🇮🇱 Israel W
Israel had to face a familiar team with Elisabetta Fiorella & Sara Cupellini. They are experienced players on the EFVL tour with different partners, but this year they are playing together for the first time. This new team proves to be very strong and they won the game 18:8 and 18:7. The talented Israelians, with Illy Levy & Marjorie Finguerman, had great technique and spectacular moves, but were not able to beat the Italians.
Semi finals
This gave us the following games for the semi finals:
| 🇦🇹 Austria 2 W | vs | 🇮🇹 Italy W |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | vs | 🇳🇱 Netherlands W |
🇦🇹 Austria 2 W vs 🇮🇹 Italy W
The second team from Austria kept advancing in this tournament and in the end they came farther than the first team - and reigning European champions. But, they met their match in the semi finals. Italy won the game 18:9 and 18:12.
🇧🇷 Brazil W vs 🇳🇱 Netherlands W
The Dutch ladies had played so well so far in the tournament only to meet the big favourites in the semi finals. They tried really hard to beat them, but in the end they lost 18:7 and 18:8.
Finals
🇮🇹 Italy W vs 🇧🇷 Brazil W
In the final we hoped for a close game, but the Brazilians showed us that they had even another gear hidden. They took an early command and showed us great skills and spectacular moves. They came out the winners with the set scores of 18:9 and 18:6
In the game for third place the Netherlands beat Austria 2 18:15 in a close and well played game.
Photo: Carina Müller
Russia newest member of the EFVL
February 10, 2022 is a historical date for footvolley in Europe. We welcome the Russian Footvolley League (RFVL) into our family. Russia is the 16th nation to join our continental federation. RFVL’s development, level of national competition and international organizational skills have grown exponentially in the past 5 years.
February 10, 2022 is a historical date for footvolley in Europe. We welcome the Russian Footvolley League (RFVL) into our family. Russia is the 16th nation to join our continental federation. The decision of our Executive Committee was swift and unanimous. RFVL’s development, level of national competition and international organizational skills have grown exponentially in the past 5 years. Moreover, we share the exact same values on how to develop the sport. Geographically and demographically this means a huge expansion to the East of the continent. A short introduction.
24/11/2021 Sportcenter LETO in Moscow: the 1st ranking of the Russian championship 2021-2022.
“I love this picture. You see our working group, association members, female athletes, a promising young generation and some football legends. All together in a top location where we also hosted the international tournament InterCup in December 2021 .”
From Russia with love for footvolley
Russia has a vast territory and is often associated with snow and cold temperatures. However footvolley thrives in all environments. In the past decades Russian teams already participated in events all over the world. The Russian Footvolley League has been founded in April 2017. In less than 5 years time they managed to set up a national competition with more than 350 male players and 12 active female players. Since 2017 RFVL organized 87 tournaments all over the country.
Infographic of the Russion Footvolley League 2017-2021
Currently there are 5 regional footvolley clubs. They practice in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Novosibirsk and Barnaul. It’s an amazing community with a passion to promote and develop the sport. The umbrella federation RFVL coordinates this development, as well as the Russian competition and the participation of their top teams at several of the international tournaments.
January 2022, Saint Petersburg: 3rd ranking of the Russian championship 2021/2022
Shared values, one mission
When we asked for a first reaction after the admission into the EFVL the Russian federation replied: “We’re really glad to finally become an official member of the EFVL family. It's an important step for both sides. To be part of EFVL means to have a good platform to share our intentions with a big community. United we have the best chance to promote footvolley in the proper way and to get the sport officially recognized worldwide.
“Furthermore, it’s a great opportunity for our players to gain experience and evolve even faster by competing with the best players in Europe.”
Moving forward
RFVL already has plans for the summer season championship 2022. Furthermore they received several requests from regional partners to open new footvolley clubs in 4 cities: Kazan, Sochi, Saratov and Chelyabinsk. Simultaneously RFVL plans a huge scale-up in the Moscow region.
Israel European Champion 2021
Israel is the new European Footvolley Champion. Until now both France (2016, 2018) and Portugal (2017, 2019) won the European men’s title two times. But in this 5th edition Israel’s top athletes Ron Ben Ishay and Maor Haas secured this historical first title.
Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany - Israel is the new European Footvolley Champion. Until now both France (2016, 2018) and Portugal (2017, 2019) won the European men’s title two times. But in this 5th edition Israel’s top athletes Ron Ben Ishay and Maor Haas secured this historical first title. In the final they beat the former champions Antoine Ottaviani and Dumé Sussini from France. For Ron and Maor it was a clear case of expectation meets reality. The expectations of the Israeli duo were clear long before: First the Israeli championship, then Europe and finally the world. The reality however involved hard work and much suffering. You can’t pre-order the championship title. So they earned it and the crowd loved every second.
The European Champion 2021 is Israel with Ron Ben Ishay & Maor Haas
Footvolley returns home
All 7 stages of the EFVL Tour 2020 got cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. Even this year for long it remained uncertain how we could host the championship in a responsible way.. But then we received an excellent offer from the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd in Germany.. Playa de Gamundia already was the home of the first European Championship in 2016. When we had a look at their plans, we did not hesitate long.. And the European footvolley community was thrilled to take part in this title fight that took place from August 6th to 8th 2021..
“As soon as we heard the official European Championship was taking place in Germany we made that our priority for 2021.”
Last minute substitutes
All 15 member nations were invited to the corona-proof arena at Pllaya de Gamundia. Travel, especially from high risk countries, was not easy. Belgium and Croatia didn’t manage to send their national champions These two open spots were filled with second teams of the top ranked nations of the latest European ranking. So in came Portugal 2, which gave the reigning European champions Miguel Pinheiro and Filipe Santos a chance to enter the competition and Spain 2 was represented by the internationally renowned duo Pablo Carcelen and Carlos Delgado. Only nine days before the event unfortunately Miguel and Filipe had to cancel but Portugal managed to replace them with another excellent team. David Peres and Djalmir de Andrade were their worthy replacements. Exactly one week before the championship Spain 2 also had misfortune: Pablo got injured during training and was replaced by the young talent Miquel Marín Ferrando. Germany as the hosting nation also got to send a second team next to the brothers Dennis and Mitch Weber. At the very last minute Germany 2 had to replace Lukas Kircherer with Jakob Domke teaming up with Joel Nisslein.
Safe travels & a corona safe arena
Furthermore we are proud to mention that this was a corona safe event. A large majority of athletes and staff were fully vaccinated, others traveled with a negative test result. During the 3-day event everyone entering the official area got tested on a daily basis. The stadium was built in such a manner that the spectators could safely watch the games. At the stadium athletes who needed a test certificate to fly back home could get one .In short, the German organization was impeccable. Not a single case of Covid-19 has been detected before, during or after the European championship.
Kick-start the group games
All observers agree: the already excellent level of footvolley in Europe keeps rising in all member nations. In group A the Netherlands (Antonio Aurino & Ben Sparenberg) won all their games against Portugal 1, Germany 2 and Norway. In group B it was Spain 1 (Facundo Silva & Sergi Talavera) who managed to beat Spain 2, Austria and Switzerland. Group C the vice-champions of 2019 Italy (Federico Iacopucci & Alain Faccini) came out victorious against Germany 1, Portugal 2 and Sweden. And in group D it was a close call but France (Antoine Ottaviani & Dume Sussini) became first in the group. They won from Israel, Greece and the United Kingdom
“In the group we lost from France. Maor disappeared for 2 hours. He was lying on the table of the physiotherapist still analyzing the game.”
Here you can watch the group game between France and Israel: Group D game: France vs Israel
Here you can see all the group standings: Groups standings EFC 2021.
Shark attack of Ron Ben Ishay (Israel)
Elimination round
Group winners Netherlands, Spain 1, Italy and France advanced directly to the quarter finals. The numbers 2 and 3 in the groups were drawn to play a qualification game. Portugal 1 (Beto Correia & Ruben Santos) won against Greece. Israel had no problems with Austria. Then there was a close fight but Spain 2 managed to beat Portugal 2 (20:18 10:18 15:10). And in the last qualifier the home crowd went wild for Germany 1 versus Germany 2.
Here you can see the victory of Germany 1:: Germany 1 vs Germany 2
Quarter finals
Quarter final 1: Germany 1 (Dennis & Mitch Weber) beat the Dutch team (Antonio Aurino & Ben Sparenberg) in a real thriller 18:8 13:18 18:20.
Quarter final 2: Spain 1 with Facu Silva and Sergi Talavera won versus Portugal 1
Quarter final 3: France (Antoine Ottaviani & Dumé Sussini) advanced with 18:15 18:9 versus Spain 2.
Quarter final 4: Italy with Federico Iacopucci & Alain Faccini fought hard against Israel but lost in 8:18 20:22.
In that second set Israel was behind 19-20 and Ron attacks with a shark. Federico responds with a shark block. Ron lands badly on his rib but doesn’t feel much pain. Israel wins that 2nd set but right after Ron collapses unable to breath. His turn to visit the physiotherapist..
Semi finals
In the first semi final Germany, although loudly cheered on by the home crowd, lost against France..
Here you can watch that game and enjoy the great athmosphere: Semi Final Germany vs France
Israel had to deal with what they believed were their toughest opponents on the road to the finals: Spain, with the talented Facu and Tala. During the warm-up to that game Ron is unable to run much due to lack of air. Luckily Maor played for two. He covered 70% of the court and attacked with great precision. After a cautious start and out of pure willpower Ron gets back into the game and Israel wins 2-0. and reserved their spot in the final.
Have a look at the game here: Semi Final Israel vs Spain
The bronze brothers
In the bronze final home team Germany with an outstanding Dennis and Mitch Weber manages to hold off Spain 18:16 18:15. What an excellent performance of the German brothers. In the days before the official competition they were already omnipresent in a youth training camp, at press conferences, sponsor events and a local footvolley tournament. Can you imagine the emotional discharge after winning a medal in the presence of your family, friends and fans?
Here you see the bronze final: Bronze Final Germany vs Spain
Mitch and Dennis Weber from Germany celebrating the bronze medal
They came to collect gold
In the final of the European Footvolley Championship Israel and France met again. In the group game and in rainy conditions France came out victorious 19-17. However this time Ron, who is normally quite nervous before any game, felt confident. Team Israel analyzed what went wrong and adjusted its strategy. Even the weather conditions were perfect. This time France did not find many openings and was unable to defend the shark attacks. So Ron and Maor went for the gold in 8-18 and 11-18. Of course they celebrated Israel’s first European title with their signature simultaneous back flip.
You can watch the final here: Final France vs Israel
We finally saw the full potential of Israel. They showed great craftsmanship and a superb mentality. After the game they made a victory lap to thank the crowd and received the cup from the Mayor of Schwäbisch Gmünd. When they arrived back home in Israel Ron was admitted to the hospital with a punctured lung from his fall in the quarter finals. Talent and hard work might get you to a final, but it’s mental power that will get you the well-deserved gold medal. Congratulations!
Happiness and pain:Just enough air to become European Champions
All photo 📷: Mario Klaiber & Johannes Zimmermann
Austria European Champion 2021
Former champions Norway and Netherlands sent their finest. But in the end Austria, represented by the youngsters Antonia Missethan (22) and Julia Rauch (23), won the title. In fact, every single person at the stadium or at home who watched this spectacular Women’s League felt like a winner.
Since the foundation of the European Footvolley League there has been one constant: the level of the female athletes has been rising exponentially. Six top nations competed at the European Championship 2021 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. Former champions Norway and Netherlands sent their finest. But in the end Austria, represented by the youngsters Antonia Missethan (22) and Julia Rauch (23), won the title. In fact, every single person at the stadium or at home who watched this spectacular Women’s League felt like a winner.
In the back from the left: Alba Montoro Gil and Cristina Fuentes Cánovas from Spain (4th). Evelyn Dobbinga and Nynke Karrenbeld from Netherlands (3rd). Pernille Ingvaldsen Smith and Henriett Ingvaldsen from Norway (2nd). In front from the left: Antonia Missethan and Julia Rauch from Austria (1st).
A late decision
Due to the pandemic we had to cancel the 7 stages of the Tour 2020. Our member nations focused on local and national development and competition as much as possible. Even this 5th edition of the European Footvolley Championship 2021 was a last minute decision. The Swedish national champions Isabel and Rita were unfortunately unable to attend. In the final week before the event the Italian top duo Sara and Francesca had to cancel due to an injury. So we welcomed Israel and Spain, two newcomers in the Women’s League.
WATCH THE FINAL: See link to the final at the bottom of this article
First encounters in the group phase
In group A the reigning European champion twins from Norway Pernille Ingvaldsen Smith and Henriette Ingvaldsen secured two wins against Austria and Israel. Not that it was easy. Henriette’s preparation was short due to her giving birth only seven months ago. Nevertheless in the opening game Norway managed to beat the talented Israeli duo Illy Levi and Marjorie Finguerman, trained by Ron Ben Ishay, The Austrian ladies Julia Rauch and Antonia Missethan became second and immediately showed a lot of agility, an outstanding ball control and a mysterious smile.
In group B Germany, Netherlands and Spain faced each other. Champions in 2017 and 2018 Netherlands (Evelyn Dobbinga and Nynke Karrenbeld) won the group. However Spain (Alba Montoro Gil and Cristina Fuentes Cánovas) made them sweat for it in a close game 20-18. The young German home team Nicole Kraus (23) and Lea Storzum (21) lost both their group games but the quality of play they showed only proves how much the level of the Women’s League has gone up.
Left to right: Pernille & Henriette (Norway), Nicole & Lea (Germany), Evelyn & Nynke (Netherlands), Julia & Antonia (Austria), Marjorie & Illy (Israel) and Cristina & Alba (Spain).
The sandy road to the finals
Two qualification games decided who would join Norway and the Netherlands in the semi-finals. The youngest teams Austria and Germany battled for the first spot. Austria prevailed 19-17 18-7. Newcomers Spain and Israel needed a tense 3-setter 15-18 18-11 15-12 to decide in favor of Spain. Exit Germany and Israel but we will see a lot more of them in the near future.
In the semi-finals the former champions and group winners Netherlands and Norway were the favorites on paper. Norway put a lot of attacking power on Spain and won 18-12 18-9 despite some solid defending from the Spanish ladies. The other semi final between the Netherlands and Austria was yet another nerve wrecking thriller. In three intense sets Austria came out victorious 18-15 15-18 14-16. The reaction of Evelyn Dobbinga afterwards says it all:
I’m going to train my other shoulder non-stop for a year because these Austrian girls can use both shoulders without any difference in quality.
Evelyn Dobbinga, European Champion 2017 & 2018
And Julia and Antonia prepared for the final with that same disarming smile on their faces.
In the bronze final the Netherlands got the upper hand from Spain 18-10. From then on all eyes were on the women’s final on Saturday night: Austria versus Norway.
RESULTS: See all results from the EFC 2021
From Austria with a smile
Smile, it confuses people they say. Actually all four athletes entering the final arena smiled. The outgoing champion twins Pernille and Henriette from Norway didn’t have an optimal preparation. And they knew what they were up against: a fierce, fast and technically skilled Austrian team. Antonia and Julia already felt victorious for reaching the final.
The women told me after each game how glad they were just to be here. They didn’t focus on the title. They just wanted to gain experience. Did I mention they are from Graz?’
Benedikt Hofmann-Wellenhof, Footvolley Austria
Julia Rauch was a good beach volley player in her youth. She’s got an excellent timing and feels really comfortable close to the net. On top, she also played football which shows when she’s defending with both her feet. She already participated in the European Championship 2018 in Graz, but with a different partner. Antonia Missethan made the biggest leap forward. She started playing footvolley only one year ago.
One day I was playing beach volley in Graz and saw three guys playing footvolley. So I asked if I could join them. And with the first touch I fell in love with the sport. The community was so supportive, welcoming and fun. I couldn’t stop.
Antonia Missethan, European Champion 2021
After the summer of 2020 she did an internship in Barcelona as a part of her studies There she played footvolley almost every day and she was coached by the best. Her skills don’t happen overnight. It takes passion and hard work. Later on this year she will travel to Rio de Janeiro for an extra training camp..
You can rewatch the final below but it went something like this: The referee whistles. Austria takes the lead in the first set. Rallies are getting longer, which Austria seems to like. Austria wins that first set 18-12. The Norwegians adjust their strategy by bringing more variation in their powerful services and attacks. Norway wins the second set with 7-18. The referee tosses a coin. Julia Rauch starts serving on Henriette for the third and final set. Austria now attacks with more precise short balls. We see a beautiful back header from Antonia securing a 12-6 lead. The Norwegian twins fight off 4 match points but Antonia finishes it with a very sharp diagonal ball. Emotions of disbelief and pure happiness. A respectful applause from the twins. A well deserved European Championship 2021 title for Austria. Gemma!
The European Champions 2021: Antonia Missethan & Julia Rauch.
ALL THE TEAMS: See all the teams from the women’s tournament
RESULTS: See the full schedule and results
GROUPS: See the tournament groups
RANKING: See the tournament rankings
PHOTOS
All photos 📷: Mario Klaiber & Johannes Zimmermann
It's coming home
We're back, baby! United we play - again. And what better place to restart than where it all began: in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. From August 6th - 8th the top 16 male teams will compete for the 5th Sparkassen European Footvolley Championship 2021.
We're back, baby! United we play - again. And what better place to restart than where it all began: in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. From August 6th - 8th the top 16 male teams will compete for the 5th Sparkassen European Footvolley Championship 2021.
In 2016 we hosted the first official European Footvolley Championship in the German town of Schwäbisch Gmünd. Now after a Covid-19 break of over 1 year this traditional footvolley hotspot invites us to host the 5th Sparkassen European Footvolley Championship. Our answer was simple: If anyone can do this in a short time, with respect to all safety and corona restrictions, it's Schwäbisch Gmünd.
So our deepest gratitude goes out to the organization, the city hall and the sponsors for making this possible in such short notice. We are returning home to our birthplace at Playa de Gamundia.
#unitedweplay
Footvolley Covid-19 protocol
In several countries the authorities are easing some of the Covid-19 lockdown measures. Slowly people will be allowed to return to a limited form of sport activities. Does this mean we can play footvolley again? And if so, how can we do it responsibly? The Footvolley Covid-19 Protocol provides recommendations for athletes, coaches and organisers.
In several countries the authorities are easing some of the Covid-19 lockdown measures. Slowly people will be allowed to return to a limited form of sport activities. Does this mean we can play footvolley again? And if so, how can we do it responsibly? The Footvolley Covid-19 Protocol provides recommendations for athletes, coaches and organisers.
DOWNLOAD PROTOCOL (0.5 MB PDF of all guidelines as described in this article)
DOWNLOAD POSTER (9 MB PDF of poster with basic information to print)
This protocol is partly based on the guidelines of national volleyball and football federations in several of our member nations. Keep in mind that the official laws and regulations in your country and region have priority over this protocol Furthermore we don’t make any medical claims. We just want to inform the footvolley community and raise awareness. Playing footvolley, like most other sports activities, is not without risk, even when strictly following these guidelines. Be careful, play safe.
General planning 2020-2021
This protocol was written early May 2020 during the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Last update 8 May 2020. At this time several countries are preparing to start up footvolley and other sports activities at different speeds. For example: The national laws and guidelines for sports in Sweden are very different from the one’s in Spain or the UK at the moment. In the Netherlands only children and youth under 18 are allowed to train in the sand. In Germany, they don’t allow headers for recreational football players.
In the absence of extensive Covid-19 testing this protocol is to be considered as a general recommendation to prevent the spread of the virus. We distinguish 4 start-up phases:
General guidelines of phase 1
In general the safety guidelines include::
Limit the playing opportunities: Only provide / rent out beach courts for training sessions (reservations online or by phone). Tournaments and events are not allowed
Register start and end times: If you rent out a beach court make sure to clearly define start and end times. Reservations should be made online or by phone. No cash payments. Announce these times and the exact location of the court beforehand. This will reduce the moments of contact for the athletes at the sports location
Reduce the number of participants: It’s recommended to allow a maximum of 6 persons (5 athletes and 1 coach) on one beach court. In some countries they only allow children under 18 to start training again in the month of May. It’s recommended to always train with the same people in order to keep your contact bubble small
Own court: Athletes will stay on their own court. Coaches and staff can move between courts. But they can only give instructions for one court with respect to the 1.5 meter distance rule
Supervision is required: There should be a supervisor / staff member present at the sports location, especially when training with children. This is the obligation of the owner / organiser of the location
Limitations for exercises: Coaches and athletes always need to consider the distance, safety and hygiene rules before, during and after training exercises. All member nations will collect and share recommended ‘corona-safe’ footvolley exercises. It’s recommended to avoid attacking very close to the net and to avoid heading an unhygienic ball
Disinfect the balls: Provide maximum hygiene measures. When possible only use the balls of the accommodation / club. The balls need to be disinfected before and after each time slot / training session. Only staff members should level and clean the sand on the courts. Only staff members should install the net and the poles and adjust the height of the net. Athletes should never touch the poles and the net. Make a schedule to follow-up on these hygiene measures
Communication: Provide posters with these new guidelines and put them at the entrance and next to the fields of the sports location
Compliance: One staff member of each sports location is responsible to supervise these guidelines and should be present at all times
Safety and hygiene rules for everybody
EFVL advises to strictly follow the measures below:
Always use your common sense. Be alert to your surroundings. Communicate
Do not participate in group sport activities if you are at risk to develop severe symptoms of Covid-19 because of poor health and other underlying conditions
Stay at home when you have any of the following (even mild) symptoms: nose cold, coughing, shortness of breath or fever
Stay at home when someone in your household or that you came close to had a fever (38 C°or more) and/or had shortness of breath in the past 7 days
Stay at home when someone in your household or that you came close to tested positive for the new coronavirus (Covid-19). If you are infected it might take up to two weeks after the last contact before you become sick. So you have to stay at home for 14 days after the last contact with a confirmed case.
If you are diagnosed with Covid-19 yourself, please consult a doctor/physician before starting to sport again. You can infect others up to 1 month after being sick
Always keep 1.5 meter distance (two arm lengths) from everybody who is not from your household
Cough and sneeze in your elbow and use paper tissues
Go to the toilet before you leave your home to sport
Wash your hands with water and soap at home for at least 20 seconds
Wash your hands with water and soap before and after visiting the sports location
Shower at home, not at the sports location
Do not touch your face
Do not shake hands
Do not arrive earlier then 10 minutes before and return home immediately after the sports activity
Additional safety and hygiene rules for athletes
EFVL advises to strictly follow the measures below:
Register in time for the sports activity (by phone or online) or follow the rules of the city / organiser. No cash payments. Make sure the organiser can manage the number of people showing up at the same time. No unannounced guests
Only show up at the sports location when you have an activity planned
Travel alone or with a member of your household
Put on your sports outfit before you leave from home. Dressing rooms and showers will be closed. Use the toilet at home
Do not arrive earlier than 10 minutes before the sports activity and wait at the designated spot before it starts. Always stay on your own court
Always follow the instructions of the organiser (staff members and coaches)
Athletes should always keep 1.5 meter distance (two arm lengths) from everybody who is not of your household. This includes staff, coaches and other athletes. Children under 12 can be excluded from this distance rule
When possible use materials and balls provided by the organiser / club. Organisers are obligated to disinfect the materials and balls before and after each training session
If possible, play with (newly developed) sports masks
Avoid contact with the net and poles at all times. Be careful while practising attack forms at the net
Avoid heading an unhygienic ball. According to the latest findings sweat does not transmit Covid-19. But there is always a possibility the surface of a ball contains the virus. To play it safe the ball should not touch your face. Unless it is a clean ball that nobody else touched, except a coach with clean hands throwing it. Be strict about the clean hands / clean materials policy before the exercise / training. Playing 2 vs 2 games over the net increases the risk because several people will touch the ball in an uncontrolled manner. Consider only using your shoulder, chest and everything below. You can still do shark attacks, but no shark blocks
Avoid exercises where it is unclear who will receive the ball (like serving in the middle) to avoid collision between players. Communicate
Wash your hands and forehead with water and soap in between exercises and in time-outs if possible. Bring your own towel
Bring your own drinking bottle and label it
Return home immediately after the activity
Additional safety and hygiene rules for staff, coaches and volunteers
EFVL advises to strictly follow the measures below:
If possible; travel alone (or with members of your household) to the sports location
Prepare your training session thoroughly. Respect the distance rule (1.5 meter) in all exercises. Avoid sharing materials when possible. Start easy and safe to let the people get used to the new situation
Do not mix up different groups on different beach courts. Keep the contact bubble small
Prepare the court before the session so you can start in time when the athletes enter the field
Designate specific areas / courts to specific groups
Before you start:
Explain the distance rules and hand hygiene rules
Check if they or the people they came close to did not experience symptoms or were recently diagnosed with Covid-19
Point out that hand shakes are forbidden
During the session:
Watch closely that all rules are followed
If not, speak up and communicate the rules again
Make sure to keep your own distance from athletes and other coaches / staff members. Physical contact is not allowed
If possible, play with (newly developed) sports masks
Avoid contact with the net and poles at all times. Be careful while practising attack forms at the net. Do not allow blocking. Keep a safe distance
Avoid exercises where it is unclear who will receive the ball (like serving or throwing a ball in the middle) to avoid collision between players
Avoid heading an unhygienic ball. According to the latest findings sweat does not transmit Covid-19. But there is always a possibility the surface of a ball contains the virus. To play it safe the ball should not touch your face. Unless it is a clean ball that nobody else touched, except a coach with clean hands throwing it. Be strict about the clean hands / clean materials policy before the exercise / training. Playing 2 vs 2 games over the net increases the risk because several people will touch the ball in an uncontrolled manner. Consider only using your shoulder, chest and everything below. Shark attacks are allowed, but no shark blocks
Know who is participating in the session, members and non-members; Make a list
Follow the instructions on how to use and clean the materials and balls
Do not allow athletes onto the court earlier than 10 minutes before the starting time
When working with larger groups avoid that everyone arrives and leaves at the same time
Do not allow spectators near the courts unless it’s necessary to help out
Cough and sneeze in your elbow and use paper tissues
Bring your own drinking bottle and label it. Bring your own towel
Wash or disinfect your hands and forehead after each session and, if possible in between exercises or during time-outs
Make sure everyone returns home immediately after the session
The EFVL member nations will evaluate this protocol and provide updates. We encourage all footvolley lovers to share their experience and insights. Feedback is always welcome. We understand these guidelines are strict and take away some fun of playing. But for now it is better to be safe than sorry. #unitedwecare #unitedweplay
Update Footvolley League 2020
In accordance with the official guidelines to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak, the restrictions to host big events in our member nations, and of course out of respect and gratitude for all the people fighting to save lives, the EFVL summer tour of 2020 is cancelled.
In accordance with the official guidelines to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak, the restrictions to host big events in our member nations, and of course out of respect and gratitude for all the people fighting to save lives, the EFVL summer tour of 2020 is cancelled.
The European Footvolley League planned for 2020 is cancelled
The executive committee has decided that there will not be European Footvolley League events until the 1st of September at the earliest. The Final championship event, planned in Rome, is currently still on hold. For now, we want to keep the option open to host at least one final event, maybe in a different form and at a later date in 2020 or early 2021..
Cities & Organisers
At this time and under normal circumstances the footvolley athletes would be travelling to training camps and the World challenger tournament of Cascais in Portugal. Players, referees, staff and fans were gearing up for the 5th European Championship tour, a jubileum edition. But now the entire world is in a (semi) lockdown because of the corona crisis. This means people are confined to their homes, not able to go outside (much), all major events are cancelled and travel is not allowed. We all agree that the health of humankind and that of the planet matter more than any sports competition. #unitedwecare.
First and foremost we would like to express our gratitude and support to the cities and event organisers of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Graz, Ios, Albufeira, Vienna, Berlin and Rome. Thank you for presenting such strong bids and for believing in our project. What would have been an amazing tour around Europe in seven stops will just have to wait until we are able to return. We are very committed to do so...
Looking forward
It’s hard to predict what will be possible later on in the year 2020. We are closely monitoring the decisions made by governments and experts. When we can play again, the focus will first be on the National Championships because they don’t require international travel, a large sponsorship budget and/or stadiums with stands. All member nations expressed the will to organise events for local and national players as soon as possible and provide a good live stream for the fans. EFVL will fully support and promote these national events..
At this time it’s unclear and probably unlikely that we will be able to host a European Footvolley Championship in 2020. This can only happen under the following conditions:
It needs to be officially allowed to host the tournament in a safe and responsible manner according to the guidelines of the organising country
The safety and the comfort of all participants need to be guaranteed before (opportunity and time to prepare), during (travel, hotel, stadium, on the field) and after the event (avoid 2 weeks of quarantine when returning home)
Teams from all member nations need to be able to travel. However we might decide to go through even if a few countries can not make it. This will be mentioned in the official title records
The stadium might be constructed without stands or seats if the fans are not allowed to sit and stand together closely
We will provide a high quality live stream for people to watch the European Footvolley Championship at home. Also a lot of attention will go to online promotion of our athletes before and after the events.
Meanwhile we have started preparing the season 2021. In the past weeks we already received applications from three new hosting cities for the Tour 2021. For now we hope everyone stays in good physical and mental health. Stay safe and hold on. You are not alone. Stay tuned. #unitedwewillplayagain
A message about Covid-19
Dear friends of footvolley around the world. Despite these difficult times the Olympic flame was lit in Greece last thursday and that flame will continue to burn through these difficult times.
Dear friends of footvolley around the world. Despite these difficult times the Olympic flame was lit in Greece last thursday and that flame will continue to burn through these difficult times.
The EFVL was ready to announce the full tour of the Eurpean Footvolley League 2020 in these coming days, but now that announcement has been postponed until further notice. The ambassadors from the member nations will have online meetings to evaluate the situation and we will continue to inform you as soon as we know more. During a crisis sport is the first thing that stops. But it will also be first to start up again. Please keep that in mind during these difficult times and be ready.
“Let’s keep some physical distance now so we can hug again later.”
The Italian Prime Minister said: “Let’s keep some physical distance now so we can hug again later.” Be responsible and follow the instructions in your country.
How to stay fit in the times of Corona
Us footvolley lovers are a warmhearted community that loves to go outside, to travel and to get close to people. But now we are stuck inside our homes.
But please don’t stop moving. Sitting on the couch all day contributes to other existing healthcare problems and sports physicians recommend continuing to sport if you are able. Even inside your home you can exercise. You can dance, you can do yoga, you can powertrain with your own body weight. If you need weights, be creative and use furniture, books or whatever you can think of. Use this time to work on the things you are not normally working on.
But remember that the virus can survive on surfaces like metal and plastics for a long time. If you sweat, please don’t use your hands to wipe off your face until you have washed them. Be careful with used towels. Shower at home. Search online for some inspirational exercises or contact the many coaches and personal trainers we have in our community.
If you are allowed to go outside: Exercising with a plastic ball is not a good idea. Even when you are playing alone, the ball touches the floor, your hands and your face. Walking, running and bicycling are excellent activities if you don’t get too close to people. Don’t share a car, travel alone. If you run together keep a minimum of 1 meter of distance. Say hello and smile to the people you meet. #spreadthelovenotthevirus
One last thing: In the media we have seen some negative reports of irresponsible and asocial behaviour. Please remember that for every asocial person there are thousands of doctors, nurses, cleaners etc working nonstop. For every person hoarding food, there are tens of thousands civilians doing all they can to stop the spread of the virus. Don't be disappointed by these first panic responses. Don’t give up convincing the people who are still in denial. Simply don’t believe the cynical world view we have been fed for too long. In the beginning of every disaster there are reports of chaos and crime. Often just rumours. Most people stay calm and help each other. Disasters and crises bring us even closer together. This is not wishful thinking, it is a scientific proven fact. Look around and you will notice a lot of people wanting to help out by following instructions, go shopping for others, etc.
We will confront this pandemic with solidarity and unity. We will always contribute to a society where the health of all is the only thing that matters. Take care and be well. #unitedwecare
Ulli Hulsmans
President
Portugal crowned European Footvolley Champions 2019
Portugal proves to be the strongest team in 2019 and beat the up and coming Italian team in the men’s final in Lucerne, Switzerland. This marks the end of the European Footvolley League 2019 and we can look back at four amazing events in Austria, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland.
Portugal proves to be the strongest team in 2019 and beat the up and coming Italian team in the men’s final in Lucerne, Switzerland. This marks the end of the European Footvolley League 2019 and we can look back at four amazing events in Austria, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland.
The men’s finalists
Miguel Pinheiro is a well known name for those who follow European footvolley. He has now won the European Footvolley Championship two times, in four attempts, and been in the final all four times. In 2017 he won at home when the championship was held in Albufeira, Portugal. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 he played with Nelson Pereira, but this year he teamed up with the great technician Filipe Santos. They began the season in the second qualification tournament in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, followed by the third qualification tournament in Albufeira, Portugal - winning both of them.
The Italian team played very well in the three qualification tournaments, but had to replace Luca Marcaccini with Alain Faccini in the championship. This turned out to be a good replacement and it took Italy all the way to the final - for the first time since the start of European Footvolley League in 2016. Federico Iacopucci and Alain Faccini became more and more tuned in as the tournament progressed. They had a long journey to the finals and had to go through three sets against Norway, Spain and Israel. Beating Israel was a big surprise, but well deserved. Also; Alain Faccini has only played footvolley for two years, but already proving to be at a top European level - and maybe the player with the most shark attacks in the whole tournament? Federico Iacopucci, the second youngest in the tournament (born in 1999), has taken great steps the last couple of years and he was awarded the MVP of the championship. Well deserved.
The final game
The final stage of the Footvolley League 2019 were held in the beautiful Swiss mountains of Lucerne and ended with a final between Portugal and Italy. In the first set the teams followed each other all the way up to 9-8 before Portugal started picking more and more important points. They actually scored eight points in a row and had a set point at 17-8. The young Italians tried to get back into the set with a nice shark attack by Alain to make it 17-9. But it was too late and on the next ball Filipe made a very nice short ball and sealed the first set with a score of 18-9.
In the second set Portugal came out early with a couple of points lead and kept it like that for the rest of the set. The Italians managed to return to 16-14 and had a golden opportunity to catch up. Unfortunately for Italy Filipe scored the next point with his specialty; the short ball. And then we were ready for the match ball and Filipe did the same thing as in the first set an scored the point with a beautifull long diagonal that barely touched the line. Portugal wins comfortably in two sets and they are once again on the top of the podium.
In the final we saw Alain Faccini attempt an amazing 13 shark attacks. Unfortunately for him, and Italy, it only resulted in a point four times. The last couple of years we have seen more teams being able to defend shark attacks and this means that the shark attack is not always the best weapon to use. A guy that never attempts a shark attack, at least we have never seen it, is Filipe Santos. He plays a very technical kind of footvolley with a lot of variations. His repertoire has both short balls and long balls and he always seem to put it where the opponent is not. His statistics show us that he scores equally on short balls and long balls - and makes few errors.
Miguel Pinheiro and Federico Iacopucci are considered stronger attackers than their partners, and therefore they receive very few serves during a game. The same happened in the final and for that reason we did not see a lot of attacks from them. Still, it is important that they play well in defense and that they set up the balls good.
Watch the whole final in the video below.
# See all the scores from the European Footvolley Championship.
# See the European Footvolley Rankings.
The European Footvolley League 2019
The European Footvolley League is proud to finish the season with an incredible match between two teams with such great talent. But even though Portugal and Italy played the final and have many more top players, there are a lot more teams knocking on the door. When will we see the full potential of Israel? Ron Ben Ishay and Oren Tzuberry showed great craftsmanship and the potential to jump all the way to the top. Is Germany ready to step up next year? Injuries of Mo Obeid and Joel Nisslein caused the young German players to knock on the door with Jakob Domke and Lukas Kircherer playing the final in Albufeira. Two times European Champions with two different teams France is always strong. Their ranking after the national championship in October shows great promise. Can we expect them to be back on top in 2020? Spain has the most footvolley players in all of Europe and we are excited to see what they can bring to the table. Although we’re going to miss Sergio Antolinos a lot. After winning the first stage in Graz together with his partner Juan Lopez Sergio announced his retirement from the international scene. Furthermore Austria was unlucky when an injury broke up the rise of their top team Jacky and (please stop playing football) Klemens Hofmann-Wellenhof..
The 2019 season was the first year with three qualification tournaments and a final European Championship. In total 87 players played a little less than 200 games in 12 days of competition and entertainment. The already excellent level keeps rising and our new competition format seems to accelerate this trend.. The atmosphere in and around the stadiums is amazing. With about 50.000 live spectators in 4 countries and more than 150.000 views on Laola TV and our joined social media channels, we feel blessed and we can’t wait to bring you European Footvolley League 2020.
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