Euro Winners Cup

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|alt1 = 2013–2015.

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|alt2 = 2016–2021.

|caption2 = 2016–2021.

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The idea of the Euro Winners Cup had been "worked on for so much time", finally being founded on 9 October 2012 after an agreement was signed between organisers Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) and the Comune of San Benedetto del Tronto to host the first edition in the Italian city the following spring.{{cite web|url=http://www.beachsoccer.com/news/539 |title=The Euro Winners Cup comes true |publisher=Beach Soccer Worldwide |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=2 January 2018 }}

At the signing, Gabino Renales (BSWW General Manager) said with increasing numbers of national leagues across Europe and the growing level of competitiveness within them, taking clubs onto an international scene was something the sport was demanding and hence the Euro Winners Cup was created to satisfy this craving.

From 2013 to 2016, just one club from each European nation qualified – the champions of their highest level of beach soccer competition (be it a national league or knockout cup). The host country was also allowed to enter two additional clubs – the club based in the host city of the event and their national league/cup runners-up. The defending champions also earned automatic qualification regardless of domestic performance. Other runners-up were also sometimes accepted at the discretion of BSWW.

In 2017, the Preliminary Round was introduced – a qualifying stage open to any and all clubs that do not qualify automatically, regardless of where they placed in their nation's domestic league/cup competition. The successful clubs progress to the competition proper.{{cite web|url=http://beachsoccer.com/news/euro-winners-cup-2017-preliminary-phase-open-for-all |title=Euro Winners Cup 2017: Preliminary phase open for all |publisher=Beach Soccer Worldwide |date=7 March 2017 |access-date=2 January 2018 }}

In 2019, BSWW overhauled the qualification system, adopting one based upon the UEFA coefficient ranking used in the UEFA Champions League. In this system, more than one club from stronger national leagues – those featuring higher quality clubs and players – qualify for the competition.{{cite web|url=http://bsrussia.com/info/item/8970?type=2 |title=Куско: чемпионат мира-2019 пройдёт в ноябре. Я догадываюсь, где, но сказать не могу |publisher=Beach Soccer Russia |date=4 June 2018 |access-date=5 June 2018 |language=ru }}{{Cite web |title=Dates confirmed for Euro Winners Cup 2019! |author= |work=Beach Soccer Worldwide |date=5 December 2018 |access-date=9 March 2022 |url= https://beachsoccer.com/dates-confirmed-for-euro-winners-cup-2019}} The strength of each league is determined by analysing the performance of clubs in the EWC on a country-by-country basis over the previous five editions.{{Cite web |title=Новый год начался в ноябре. Что известно о календаре сезона-2019 – пляжный футбол на BSRussia. |trans-title= |author= |work=Beach Soccer Russia |date=14 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2022 |url= https://bsrussia.com/ru/article/-10424-10424 |language=ru}} Currently, three clubs (league champions, runners-up and third place) from the top six ranked countries qualify to the competition (as of 2022 these are: Portugal, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, Germany and Poland). Two clubs (league champions and runners-up) from the leagues ranked seventh, eighth and ninth qualify (as of 2022 these are: Turkey, Italy and Belgium). And the remaining countries ranked tenth and lower continue to have just one club qualify – their league champions.{{Cite web |author= |date=25 January 2022 |title=Slots - Euro Winners Cup 2022 |url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/uMPGq |access-date=7 May 2022 |work=Beach Soccer Worldwide via Beach Soccer Belgium |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507210534/https://www.facebook.com/belgianbeachsoccer/photos/5123145917696189 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |author= |date=5 May 2022 |title=Draw Procedure - EWC 2022 (Men) |url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/PyAPM |access-date=7 May 2022 |work=Beach Soccer Worldwide via BLC Vamos |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507210544/https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=511031494050295&set=pcb.511031547383623 |url-status=live }} The preliminary round remains in place, as do additional slots for the host club and defending champions.

In 2020 and 2021, qualification was completely abandoned due to health concerns and travel constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meaning many clubs could not compete. The competition was opened up to simply any club in Europe that was able and willing to participate; the competition format was also altered accordingly for these editions.[https://beachsoccer.com/news/the-2020-beach-soccer-season-to-begin-in-august The 2020 beach soccer season to begin in August]. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.[https://beachsoccer.com/news/teams-announced-for-2020-euro-winners-cup Teams announced for 2020 Euro Winners Cup]. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.{{cite AV media|medium=video |url=https://www.facebook.com/126699240694575/videos/456754495632370 |title=2021 Calendar Launch |work=Beach Soccer Worldwide |date=13 April 2021|access-date=10 June 2021}} Since 2022, clubs from Russia have been banned from entering in accordance with sanctions imposed by FIFA and UEFA in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite press release |url=https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0273-148f20d27980-23a90d5c0d62-1000/20220228_circular_2022_10_en.pdf |title=Decision of the UEFA Executive Committee related to Russia |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |page=2 |date=28 February 2022 |access-date=2 March 2022}}{{Cite web |author= |date=28 February 2022 |title=Measures taken by BSWW after the attacks on Ukraine |url=https://beachsoccer.com/official-announcement |access-date=5 May 2022 |work=Beach Soccer Worldwide}}{{Cite web |author= |date=6 May 2022 |title=Утверждён список мужских и женских команд Euro Winners 2022 |trans-title=The list of men's and women's teams of Euro Winners 2022 has been approved |url=https://bsrussia.com/ru/news/utverzhden-spisok-muzhskih-i-zhenskih-komand-euro-winners-2022-18779 |access-date=7 May 2022 |work=Beach Soccer Russia |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Состоялась жеребьёвка Euro Winners Cup 2023 – пляжный футбол на BSRussia. |trans-title= |author= |work=BS Russia |date=19 May 2023 |access-date=5 June 2023 |url= https://bsrussia.com/ru/news/sostoyalas-zherebevka-euro-winners-cup-2023-21388 |language=ru}}

Currently, the tournament is a 10-day event taking place in late May or early June and typically operates under the following format:

• Days 1–3: Preliminary round – the participating clubs are split into groups (usually of four) and compete in a round robin format.
• Days 4–6: Group stage – the eight best ranking teams from the preliminary round proceed to join the automatic qualifiers in the group stage. The clubs are split into groups (usually of four) and compete in a round robin format.
• Days 7–10: Knockout stage – the 32 best ranking teams from the group stage advance to the knockout stage. The teams compete in single-elimination matches; the round of 32 (day 7), the round of 16 and quarter-finals (day 8), semi-finals (9) and ending with the final (10). Consolation matches are also played to determine the final rankings involving the clubs knocked out of these rounds.

{{smalldiv|

:A. {{note label|2016|1|^}} Viareggio won the penalty shootout 7–6.

:B. {{note label|2018|1|^}} Braga won the penalty shootout 5–4.

:C. {{note label|2020|1|^}} Kristall won the penalty shootout 1–0.

:D. {{note label|2023|1|^}} Kfar Qassem won the penalty shootout 5–3.

:E. {{note label|2025|1|^}} TSOR Mogilev won the penalty shootout 5–4.

}}

File:Isaac Herzog in Beit HaNassi, June 2023 (KBG GPO7368).jpg at Beit HaNassi following their victory in 2023.]]

The following is an appearance and performance timeline of the countries who have been represented by clubs at the Euro Winners Cup. It shows which countries were represented at each edition and by how many clubs. The colour of the cells indicates the furthest any of that country's clubs progressed in the competition in that edition, corresponding to the key below. Clubs which did not progress passed the preliminary round are not counted.

34 members of UEFA have been represented by at least one club in at least one edition to date.

;Key

;Timeline

• Women's Euro Winners Cup
• Copa Libertadores de Beach Soccer
• UEFA Futsal Champions League

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.beachsoccer.com/ Beach Soccer Worldwide], official website

{{Euro Winners Cup}}

{{International Beach Soccer}}

{{European sport club competitions}}

Category:International beach soccer competitions

Category:International association football competitions in Europe

Category:2013 establishments in Europe

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2013

Category:Multi-national professional sports leagues