From August 29 to September 4, the Ukraine beach soccer team will participate in the European qualifier for the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which will take place in Catania on Sicily. Then, from September 8-11, Ukrainians will compete in the second stage of EuroLeague-2022 in Cagliari on Sardinia.

Coach Mykola Kostenko outlined the tasks that stand before our soccer players at both tournaments: "Our main task in the qualifier for the World Cup is to reach the semifinals, which will guarantee us a place in these competitions."

At the second stage of EuroLeague, we set qualification for the European Games as our goal. To achieve this, it's necessary to successfully play matches against Germany and Azerbaijan and then compete for one of the top six teams in Europe in the games for fifth-eighth place. There is also an option where qualifying from seventh place would be possible if the host country, Poland, which has an automatic spot, finishes above Ukraine. Unfortunately, our chances of competing for victory in the EuroLeague Super Final after losses to Spain and Italy are purely theoretical, so we're preparing more for a fight for what's called the small semifinal.

As for the personnel situation, fortunately, all boys are healthy at the moment, there are no injuries. There is some psychological fatigue after the Ukrainian championship, but they are professionals and there is still time to recover.

Ukraine Beach Soccer Team Roster

Goalkeepers: Andriy Nerus ("Griffin"), Taras Kovalenko (NC Beachsoccer).

Field Players: Igor Borsuk ("Levante", Spain), Oleksandr Koroinychuk, Ivan Glutsyk, Maxim Voytok, Yurii Shcheritsia, Dmytro Medvid (all — "VIT"), Dmytro Voytenko, Yaroslav Zavorotnyi, Andriy Pashko, Igor Levchenko (all — "Alternativa"), Oleg Zborovskyy, Andriy Borsuk (both — "Arthur Music").

2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Men's Qualifier. Group C

August 29. Switzerland — Azerbaijan. 14:30

August 30. Ukraine — Azerbaijan. 14:30

August 31. Switzerland — Ukraine. 12:00

EuroLeague-2022 Beach Soccer. Men's Division A. Group B

Group A: Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, France, Estonia.

Group B: Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Azerbaijan.

September 8. Round 4. Ukraine — Azerbaijan. 14:30

September 8. Round 4. Italy — Germany. 18:30

September 9. Round 5. Ukraine — Germany. 14:30

September 9. Round 5. Italy — Spain. 18:30

Match times are in Kyiv time.

Standings