The 55th Senior Men WSE European Championship is conquered by Spain: it is its 19th European title, the third in a row, thus effectively opening a positive streak very similar to the one that happened last decade. A formidable performance for Guillem Cabestany’s team who had never shown so much in this European Championship. The right intensity didn’t allow the world vice-champions to win the European title. In the final in front of the sold-out (1500 people) of Pavello Olimpic de l’Ateneu, “La Roja” made the decisive pass at the beginning of the second half with Grau and Julia, the two heroes of the match, after the initial 1-0 of the Barcelona striker. Portugal’s response came but perhaps too late: 6 minutes from the end, the Lusitanians managed to go back from 3-0 to 3-2 with the best scorer of the tournament, Gonçalo Alves. The decisive act is a few seconds later when Julia still manages to transform the decisive direct shot of the 4-2 which gives the Spanish people the triumph.
Many emotions on the day of the finals starting from the bronze final which never fails to live up to expectations: once again between Italy and France, we get to penalties after an exciting sport battle. Four goals are scored in the two extra times and on penalties Italy wins after 16 penalties. Hat-trick in Cocco’s penalty shootout. Fifth place goes to Switzerland who beat Germany 3-0, where once again it was captain Kissling who decided. Seventh place conquered by England against Andorra: to decide the four goals of Josh Taylor. Appointment in 2025 for the 56th Senior Men WSE European Championship and for European hockey the break is short: in a month the Under 17 European Championship in Italy in Correggio, for men and women, while in mid-September the Under 19 review in Uri (Switzerland)
Final Standing: 1st Spain, 2nd Portugal, 3rd Italy, 4th France, 5th Switzerland, 6th Germany, 7th England, 8th Andorra
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Schedule: GROUP STAGE
1st matchday – Monday 17th July
13:30 (CEST) – Group B – Switzerland x England = 4-0
16:00 (CEST) – Group B – Andorra x Germany = 6-2
18:30 (CEST) – Group A – Portugal x Italy = 7-4
21:00 (CEST) – Group A – Spain x France = 4-4
2nd matchday – Tuesday 18th July
13:30 (CEST) – Group B – Andorra x Switzerland = 2-5
16:00 (CEST) – Group B – England x Germany = 2-8
18:30 (CEST) – Group A – Spain x Portugal = 3-3
21:00 (CEST) – Group A – Italy x France = 4-2
3rd matchday – Wednesday 19th July
13:30 (CEST) – Group B – Switzerland x Germany = 9-3
16:00 (CEST) – Group B – England x Andorra = 2-4
18:30 (CEST) – Group A – Portugal x France = 3-1
21:00 (CEST) – Group A – Italy x Spain = 4-7
Standing Group A: Portugal 7 points, Spain 5 points, Italy 3 points and France 1 point
Standing Group B: Switzerland 9 points, Andorra 6 points, Germany 3 points, England 0 points
Schedule: ELIMINATORY ROUND
Quarterfinals – Thursday 20th July
13:30 (CEST) – QF4 – France x Switzerland = 5-0
16:00 (CEST) – QF3 – Italy x Andorra = 4-1
18:30 (CEST) – QF1 – Portugal x England = 15-2
21:00 (CEST) – QF2 – Spain x Germany = 5-0
Semifinals – Friday 21st July
13:30 (CEST) – SF3 – England x Switzerland = 1-2
16:00 (CEST) – SF4 – Germany x Andorra = 2-0
18:30 (CEST) – SF2 – Portugal x France = 5-2
21:00 (CEST) – SF1 – Spain x Italy = 7-4 after penalty shots
Finals – Saturday 22nd July
13:30 (CEST) – Final 7th-8th place – Andorra x England = 3-4
16:00 (CEST) – Final 5th-6th place – Switzerland x Germany = 3-0
18:30 (CEST) – Final 3rd-4th place – Italy x France = 9-8 after penalty shots
21:45 (CEST) – Final 1st-2nd place – Spain x Portugal = 4-2
Details of the matchday
ANDORRA – ENGLAND = 3-4 (1-3, 2-1)
Andorra: De Sousa, Castellvi, Picanyol, Miquel (C), Dilme – Barros, Lopez, Hernandez, Tomè, Beal – Coach: Rubio
England: Martin, Kay, Tucker, Taylor (C), Baker – Barnes, Kay, Griffin, Allander – Coach: Pereira
Scorers: 1st: 11’16” Taylor (dir.shot) (ENG), 15’17” Taylor (ENG), 20’52” Taylor (dir.shot) (ENG), 23’59” Dilme (AND) – 2nd: 8’01” Tome (pen.shot) (AND), 9’01” Taylor (ENG), 22’05” Picanyol (AND)
Penalties: 1st: 20’52” Tome (2′) (AND)
Referees: Figueiredo (POR), Le Menn (FRA)
SWITZERLAND – GERMANY = 2-0 (1-0, 1-0)
Switzerland: Oberson, Gottwald, Rettenmund, Brand, Kissling (C) – Boll, Dysli, Rui, Schober, Vizio – Coach Bataller
Germany: Hilbertz F, Kohler, Strieder, Karschau (C), Borkei – Henrinchs, Rath, Haas, Hilbertz N, Geisler – Coach: Wahlen
Scorers: 1st: 6’21” Rettenmund (SWI) – 2nd: 2’02” Kissling (SWI), 21’50” Kissling (SWI)
Penalties: 2nd: 3’04” Borkei (2′) (GER), 6’57” Dilme (2′) (AND)
Referees: Diaz (SPA), Wilson (ENG)
ITALY – FRANCE = 9-8 after penalty shots (0-2, 3-1, 1-0, 1-2, 4-3)
Italy: Gnata, Cinquini, Gavioli, Malagoli, Cocco (C) – Faccin, Antonioni, Barbieri, Ipinazar, Sgaria – Coach: Bertolucci
France: Audelin, Di Benedetto B, Herman, Di Benedetto R, Savreux L – Da Costa, Gefflot, Barengo, Di Benedetto C (C), Audelin – Coach: Savreux F
Scorers: 1st: 15’13” Di Benedetto R (FRA), 18’00” Di Benedetto R (dir.shot) (FRA) – 2nd: 0’36” Cinquini (ITA), 4’03” Herman (FRA), 12’43” Faccin (ITA), 20’19” Malagoli (dir.shot) (ITA) – 1st OT: 3’59” Gavioli (ITA) – 2nd OT: 1’04” Cocco (ITA), 1’30” Di Benedetto R (dir.shot) (FRA), 2’13” Di Benedetto R (FRA) – Penalty shots: Goal for Italy, Cocco, Malagoli, Cocco and Cocco; Goal for France, Herman, Gefflot, Di Benedetto R
Penalties: 1st: 15’13” Antonioni (2′) (ITA), 22’14” Da Costa (2′) (FRA) – 2nd: 15’32” Malagoli (2′) (ITA)
Referees: Pedro Silva (POR), Mayor (SPA)
SPAIN – PORTUGAL = 4-2 (1-0, 3-2)
Spain: Grau C, Bargallo P (C), Carballeira, Casas, Roca – Barroso, Julia, Aragones, Grau M, Ballart – Coach: Cabestany
Portugal: Henriques, Nunes, Pinto, Rodrigues (C), Alves – Souto, Costa, Magalhaes, Santos, Edo – Coach: Garrido
Scorers: 1st: 13’26” Grau M (SPA) – 2nd: 4’54” Grau (SPA), 5’17” Julia (dir.shot) (SPA), 6’03” Alves (POR)
Penalties: 1st: 22’38” Bargallo (2′) (SPA) and Magalhaes (2′) (POR) – 2nd: 3’14” Costa (2′) (POR), 7’42” Aragones (2′) (SPA)
Referees: Rondina (ITA), Silecchia (ITA)
Spain, winner of Senior Men WSE European Championship – Credit Photo World Skate Europe
The decisive goal from the stick of Marc Julia – Credit Photo World Skate Europe
Joao Rodrigues (Portugal) and Pau Bargallo (Spain) – Credit Photo World Skate Europe
