FC Porto v Deportivo Liceo and SL Benfica v Reus are the matches that kick off the quarter-finals of the WSE Champions League by Azemad this Wednesday, a competition taking place in Coimbra until the 10th, bringing together the men’s and women’s competitions simultaneously this year. The first training sessions took place on Tuesday, as did the press conference previewing the first four matches.
The Dr. Mário Mexia Multisport Pavilion in Coimbra hosted, on Tuesday 5 May, the kick-off of the Final Eight of the World Skate Europe Champions League by Azemad 2025/2026, in what is the 61st edition of Europe’s biggest club-level rink hockey competition, taking place this year from 6 to 10 May.
The eight best European rink hockey clubs are in Coimbra: OC Barcelos, FC Porto, Sporting CP, SL Benfica, FC Barcelona, Reus Deportiu, Deportivo Liceo and Hockey Trissino.
This Wednesday, 6 May, sees the first round of the quarter-finals, with matches promising highly competitive clashes, pitting FC Porto against Deportivo Liceo and SL Benfica against Reus. On Thursday, 7 May, it is the turn of FC Barcelona and Sporting CP, as well as OC Barcelos and Trissino, to go head-to-head.
The first four teams trained on Tuesday, when the competition’s press conference and previews of the initial matches also took place.
The press conference was attended by the Mayor of Coimbra, Ana Abrunhosa, the chairman of WSE Rink Hockey, Orlando Panza, and Anabela Freitas, vice-president of the Executive Committee of Turismo Centro de Portugal. Also present were the coaches of SL Benfica, FC Porto, Deportivo Liceo and Reus.
The preview of the second round of the quarter-finals, attended by the coaches of FC Barcelona, Sporting CP, OC Barcelos and Trissino, will take place this Wednesday at 4 pm.
It should be noted that the Women’s Final Four is also taking place at the same time, with the semi-finals scheduled for 8 May and the final on 10 May.. Wednesday’s matches can be watched on RTP 2 and DAZN 4, in Portugal, or on TV Galiza and TV 3 Catalunya in Spain
What they said:
Ana Abrunhosa, Mayor of Coimbra
“Three months ago, this arena was filled with beds due to the tragedy that struck this region because of the bad weather, and now we are hosting a major competition, celebrating Coimbra as a city of sport. It is with great pleasure that we welcome the WSE Champions League here, which for the first time brings together the men’s and women’s competitions, hosting the best teams and the best athletes because we too believe in sport as a space for values and inclusion. I thank and applaud the choice of Coimbra, and welcome you all.”
Orlando Panza, chairman of WSE Rink Hockey
“The highlight of European rink hockey has arrived – the highlight of the season and perhaps of all time in terms of competition. For the first time, we have men’s and women’s competitions taking place simultaneously because, for us, women’s hockey is not an afterthought; it is a strategic priority. There are top-level teams here, and I’d like to congratulate them on making it this far. I’d like to thank the city of Coimbra for providing us with these facilities to host this major event, and also thank our partner Sigma Stars for their extraordinary work in organising this event, which we believe could become the world’s biggest rink hockey competition.”
Anabela Freitas, Vice-President of the Central Portugal Tourism Board
“Central Portugal aims to become a sports region, that is, to attract major sporting events to this region, and to boost both sport and tourism. Combining tourism with a passion for sport will be highly beneficial, and rink hockey is a sport that the Portuguese people and the people of Coimbra greatly appreciate. It is with great pride that we welcome the men’s and women’s teams, and I am certain that this is the first of many major events to be held in Coimbra.”
Paulo Freitas, FC Porto coach
“It is a huge pleasure to be here; it has been a goal since the start of the season to be here at the Final Eight, and now we will be aiming for something more. This was a very different setting not long ago, due to the tragedy that struck here, and congratulations to Coimbra City Council for the way they are now welcoming us here, and congratulations to Sigma Stars for the way they are organising this event. The secret to winning? I have a friendly relationship with the Liceo coach; we know each other very well, so there are unlikely to be any surprises. We’re focused on winning and we have to be at our best to do that.”
Juan Copa, HC Liceo coach
“We’re here on our own merit, very happy to be in Coimbra… we know what happened here not long ago; we’re from A Coruña and we’re brothers. We’ve come prepared to play. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Porto-Liceo match at this stage and I feel the players are eager to get into the arena so the ball can start rolling.”
Edu Castro, SL Benfica coach
“We’re delighted to be on this wonderful stage, in this city where culture is in the air. The winter months were terrible and the work you’ve done here has been incredible – thank you for everything you’ve done. It’s wonderful to be here amongst the best roller hockey teams in Europe; they all have a chance to win and progress in the competition. We’re up against a formidable opponent, a top-class side that plays highly structured hockey – a legendary team. And so we have to put in a great performance to reach the semi-finals.”
Jordi García, Reus Deportiu Coach
“I echo my teammates’ words of admiration for what we’ve found here… On the plane, on our way here, we were commenting that Reus is the second team in the world with the most European titles, which is a source of pride for us, but it’s been a long time since we were at this stage. It took a lot to get here; it was with great effort and sacrifice. We’ve come with the greatest possible ambition; we face a very tough opponent with a great coach. We have ambition, respect and a strong desire to do everything right, to play well so we can reach the semi-finals.”
WSE Champions League Men – Final Eight – WEST local hour
Quarter-finals
Wednesday, 6 May
19:00 – FC Porto (POR) vs HC Liceo (ESP) – RTP 2 + DAZN 4 + TV Galiza. | Press kit
22:00 – SL Benfica (POR) vs Reus Deportiu Brasilia (ESP) – RTP Play + DAZN 4 + TV | Press kit
Thursday, 7 May
19:00 – Barça (ESP) vs Sporting CP (POR) – RTP 2 + DAZN 4 + TV 3
22:00 – Óquei de Barcelos (POR) vs Hockey Trissino (ITA) – RTP Play + DAZN 4
Semi-finals
Saturday, 8 May
12:00 – Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 4
16:00 – Winner of Match 2 vs Winner of Match 3
Final
Sunday, 10 May
18:00 – Winner of Match 5 vs Winner of Match 6
WSE Champions League Women – Final Four
Semi-finals
Friday, 8 May
19:00 – SL Benfica (POR) vs Telecable Gijón HC (ESP) – RTP 2 + DAZN 4
21:30 – CP Vila-Sana Coop d’Ivars (ESP) vs CP Esneca Fraga (ESP) – RTP Play + DAZN 4 + TV3 Catalonia
Final
Sunday, 10 May
12:00 – Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 2
