2003 Euro Beach Soccer League

2003 Euro Beach Soccer League
Tournament details
Dates6 June – 30 August
Teams9 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)9 (in 9 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Spain (4th title)
Runners-up France
Third place Portugal
Fourth place  Switzerland
Tournament statistics
Matches played61
Goals scored653 (10.7 per match)
Top scorer(s)Portugal Madjer
Best player(s)Spain Ramiro Amarelle
Best goalkeeperSwitzerland Adrian Lingenhag
2002
2004
Locations of the events of the 2003 Euro Beach Soccer League
Division A events
Division B events
Superfinal & Division B event

The 2003 Euro Beach Soccer League, was the sixth edition of the Euro Beach Soccer League (EBSL), the premier beach soccer competition contested between European men's national teams, known as the European Pro Beach Soccer League at the time, occurring annually since its establishment in 1998. The league was organised by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) between June 6 and August 31, 2003 in nine different nations across Europe.

This was the last time the tournament would be held under the Pro title, as the following season the tournament was renamed and shortened to the Euro Beach Soccer League.

Following the preceding season, BSWW continued organising the nations of the EBSL across two distinct groups based on ability. This season the two groups were renamed as Division A, the top tier group, comprising the best nations of the Europe and Division B, the lower tier group, consisting of teams with lesser ability than those in A; these replaced the Southern and Northern "divisions" established in 2002. Each team competed in their respective division to try and earn a place in the season-finale event, the Superfinal, in which the league title was then contested directly.[1]

Spain, having won three successive titles from 1999 to 2001, successfully reclaimed the title by defeating France in extra-time in the final. This was the fourth European title won by the Spanish. Portugal, who entered as defending champions, lost in the Superfinal semi-finals, ultimately finishing in third place.[2]

The league also doubled as the qualification process for the 2004 Beach Soccer World Championship. The nations finishing in first, second, third and fourth place qualified.[3]

  1. ^ "Calendar – August 2003". beachsoccer.com. August 2003. Archived from the original on 18 August 2003. Retrieved 13 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "EPBSL 2003 - Superfinal Knokke (BELGIUM)". beachsoccer.com. 30 August 2003. Archived from the original on 12 October 2003. Retrieved 13 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference draw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).