Euro Winners Cup

Euro Winners Cup
Organising bodyBSWW
Founded9 October 2012; 12 years ago (2012-10-09)
RegionEurope (UEFA)
Number of teams50–60
Related competitionsEuro Winners Challenge (2nd tier)
Women's Euro Winners Cup
Current championsPortugal Braga (4th title)
Most successful club(s)Portugal Braga
Russia Kristall (4 titles each)
WebsiteBeach Soccer Worldwide
2024 Euro Winners Cup

The Euro Winners Cup (EWC) is an annual, continental beach soccer club competition contested between top-division European teams; the clubs that are their country's national league/cup champions (and, for some nations, one or more runners-up) from countries all across Europe take part. Organised by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), the championship is viewed as beach soccer's rudimentary version of the UEFA Champions League in its parent sport, association football.[1][2][3]

Featuring many of the world's best beach soccer players and clubs, the championship offers the strongest level of club competition on the old continent.[4] It is therefore the most prestigious club beach soccer championship in Europe; the winners become continental champions.

Established in 2013 as a 20 team, five-day event,[5] domestic beach soccer advancement in Europe has seen the tournament rapidly expand;[1] in 2017, BSWW introduced a preliminary qualifying round, open to all clubs not automatically qualified for the competition proper.[6] This has doubled the competition's length to 10 days, with over 50 clubs now participating; it takes place on multiple pitches in one location. BSWW also began a women's edition in 2016.[7]

Braga (Portugal) and Kristall (Russia) are the most successful clubs with four titles apiece; the former are also the current champions.

  1. ^ a b "Euro Winners Cup 2015 to be biggest yet". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Beachsoccerteam VIOD klaar voor Champions League avontuur" (in Dutch). nieuwedockumercourant.nl. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Euro Winners Cup (Champions League) Havana Shots Aargau Damen" (in German). funders.ch. 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Euro Winners Cup confirmed in Catania". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  5. ^ "20 teams take part in Euro Winners Cup!". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Euro Winners Cup 2017 to feature preliminary round". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Euro Winners Cup 2016 to feature Women's competition". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2018.