2003 Euro Beach Soccer Cup

2003 Euro Beach Soccer Cup

Tournament details
Host country	Belgium
Dates	18 April - 20 April 2003
Teams	8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Portugal (4th title)
Runners-up	France
Third place	Spain
Fourth place	Germany
Tournament statistics
Matches played	12
Goals scored	142 (11.83 per match)

The 2003 Euro Beach Soccer Cup was the fifth Euro Beach Soccer Cup. Held in April 2003, it was one of Europe's two major beach soccer championships at the time in Liège, Belgium. Portugal won the championship, claiming their third successive title and fourth overall, with France finishing second. This was the first time the final was not between Portugal and Spain since the tournament was established in 1998. Spain beat Germany in the third place play off to finish third and fourth respectively. This was the first time the host nation had not featured in the top four places.

Eight teams participated in the tournament who played in a straightforward knockout tournament, starting with the quarter finals, with extra matches deciding the nations who finished in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth place.^[1]

Participating nations

•  Austria
•  Belgium
•  France
•  Germany
•  Italy
•  Portugal
•  Spain
•   Switzerland

Matches

Main tournament

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	18 April 2003
	Belgium	5
					19 April 2003
	Germany (pen.)	5
					Germany	4
	18 April 2003
					Portugal	5
	Portugal	8
									20 April 2003
	Switzerland	0
									Portugal	6
	18 April 2003
									France	3
	France	12
					19 April 2003
	Austria	1
					France (a.e.t.)	5			Third place
	18 April 2003
					Spain	4
	Spain	11							Spain	6
	Italy	7							Germany	3
									20 April 2003

Fifth to eighth place deciding matches

The following matches took place between the losing nations in the quarter finals to determine the final standings of the nations finishing in fifth to eighth place. The semi finals occurred on the same day of the semi finals of the main tournament and the play offs took place on the day of the final.

	Fifth to eighth place semi finals					Fifth place play off
	QF1	Belgium	8
	QF2	Switzerland	4
						Belgium		7
						Italy		6
	QF3	Austria	5
	QF4	Italy	11

Winners

2003 Euro Beach Soccer Cup Winners:
Portugal Fourth title

Final standings

Rank	Team
1	Portugal
2	France
3	Spain
4	Germany
5	Belgium
6	Italy
7	Switzerland
8	Austria

References

1. http://roonba.com/2003.htm