1999 Euro Beach Soccer League

The 1999 Euro Beach Soccer League, was the second 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 Company (BSC)[1] between May 22 and September 20, 1999 in five different nations across Europe.

1999 Euro Beach Soccer League
Tournament details
Dates22 May – 20 September
Teams6 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)6 (in 6 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Spain (1st title)
Runners-up France
Third place Portugal
Fourth place Italy
Tournament statistics
Matches played24
Goals scored253 (10.54 per match)
Top scorer(s) Quique Setién (20 goals)
Best player(s) Madjer
Best goalkeeper Zé Miguel

The format established in the maiden season continued to be used; the teams of the league continued to compete as one group across a number of rounds of fixtures to gain regular match points and additional bonus points for the overall league table.

Switzerland did not return from last season and were replaced by Austria who competed for the first time. Yugoslavia, who competed in 1998, were due to participate again, however to due political reasons were forced to withdraw.[2]

By winning the final in Monte Carlo, Spain secured their first European title. Defending champions Germany finished fifth.[2]

Participating teams

Six teams took part in the 1999 season of the EBSL.

Organisation
Stage 1, A Coruña
Stage 2, Syracuse
Stage 3,
Vienna
Stage 5, Scoglitti
Stage 6, Monte Carlo
Locations of the six stages of the 1999 Euro Beach Soccer League

Format

The format remained the same as that established in 1998, only adjusted to the differing number of stages this year than in previous editions as follows:

Matches were split into six rounds of fixtures known as stages, with two stages hosted Italy and one in Austria, Spain, Monaco and Portugal, whilst the other participating nation, Germany, did not host any stage. Four teams took part in each, with each individual team taking part in four of the six stages overall.

Each stage was played as a small knock-out tournament, with semi-finals, the final and a third place decider being the fixtures throughout all six rounds. Teams earned points for their successes per game and per stage which were then tallied up in the final league table.

The team who topped the table after all six stages was crowned the winner of the league.

Point distribution

Points were allocated for the following achievements in each stage, contributing to the final points total in the league table.[3]

Scenario Points earned
Win in normal time3 points
Win in overtime/penalties2 points
Stage winners3 bonus points
Stage runners-up2 bonus points

Stages

Stage 1

The first stage took place in A Coruña, Spain. Portugal were crowned champions of the opening stage of the season.

22 May 1999
Semi finals
Portugal 13–3 Italy
Spain 5–7 France
23 May 1999
Third place play-off
Spain 7–5 Italy
Final
Portugal 6–2 France

Stage 2

The second stage took place in Syracuse, Italy. The Spanish were the victors in the second stage.

5 June 1999
Semi finals
Italy 6–5 France
Spain 11–4 Austria
6 June 1999
Third place play-off
France 5–4 Austria
Final
Italy 2–3 Spain

Stage 3

The third stage took place in Vienna, Austria. Germany won the stage, their first title of the season.

10 July 1999
Semi finals
Austria 5–7 Spain
Germany 6–6 (a.e.t.)
3–2 (pens.)		 Portugal
11 July 1999
Third place play-off
Austria 4–3 Portugal
Final
Germany 4–3 Spain

Stage 4

The fourth stage took place in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Matches that were being played as primarily part of a different event, the 1999 Mundialito tournament, were simultaneously counted as stage 4 of this year's EBSL.[4]

The four nations took part in the European group of the Mundialito's group stage, played in a round robin format. The 1st round of group games were concurrently classed as the semi finals of stage 4. The subsequent round of group stage matches that saw the corresponding winners of the semi finals face-off and the losers also play each other counted as the stage final and third place respectively – this happened to be the 3rd and final round of matches of the group stage. These results originally saw Portugal crowned champions of the stage:[5]

Semi finalsPortugal 8–5 France
Germany 8–3 Austria
3rd placeAustria 4–7 France
FinalPortugal 8–3 Germany

However, after the Mundialito took place, a retrospective decision was made to void Portugal's results above in terms of being part of the EBSL's fourth stage. Portugal's results were documented as punitive forfeits.

With Portugal's semi final win vs. France changed to a forfeit, this meant that the "new" stage final was the match which saw the amended semi final winners of Germany and now France play each other, whilst the "new" third place match was that which saw the amended semi final losers of Austria and now Portugal face-off. These fixtures happened during the 2nd round of group stage matches and hence the results of said round were retrospectively considered as the official stage final and third place match instead.

These amendments saw France crowned stage champions.

Semi finals
11 July 1999
Portugal 8–5 0–101 France
13 July 1999
Germany 8–3 Austria
14 July 1999
Third place play-off
Portugal 8–2 0–101 Austria
Final
France 7–4 Germany
110–0 is the standard scoreline recorded in the event of a forfeit in beach soccer[6]

Stage 5

The fifth stage took place in Scoglitti, Italy. Portugal claimed their second stage title.

31 July 1999
Semi finals
Italy 3–1 Austria
Germany 1–5 Portugal
1 August 1999
Third place play-off
Austria 9–5 Germany
Final
Italy 1–4  Portugal

Stage 6

The sixth stage took place in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Spain secured the title by beating Italy in the final match of the season to claim the stage.

19 September 1999
Semi finals
France 6–7 Italy
Spain 9–8 Germany
20 September 1999
Third place play-off
France 6–5 Germany
Final
Spain 8–7 Italy

Stage winners
Team Stage Wins Stage titles
 Spain2Siracusa (2), Monte Carlo (6)
 PortugalLa Coruña (1), Scoglitti (5)
 Germany1Vienna (3)
 FranceFigueira da Foz (4)

Final Table
Pos Team Matches Pts Stages Bonus Pts Total Pts Notes
Pld W W+ L GF GA GD Pld W RU
1 Spain 86025342+1118421826EBSL Champions
2 France 85034837+1115411520Runners-up
3 Portugal 84043737012420618Third place
4 Italy 83053447–139403615
5 Germany 82154148–78411513
6 Austria 83054042–2940009

Winners
 1999 Euro Beach Soccer League
Champions 

Spain
First title
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References
  1. "The History and Growth of Pro Beach Soccer (1992 to Present)". beachsoccer.com. 2001. Archived from the original on February 15, 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  2. "History". beachsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2002. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  3. "European Pro Beach Soccer League (EPBSL)". rsssf.com. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  4. "Informacao Geral – APRESENTAÇÃO 99" (in Portuguese). infordesporto.pt. Archived from the original on 24 June 2001. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  5. "FUTEBOL DE PRAIA: PORTUGUESES REPETITIVOS ARREBATAM LIGA EUROPEIA" (in Portuguese). record.pt. 15 July 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  6. "Euro Beach Soccer League 2006" (in German). beachsoccer.ch. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2017.

Sources
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