The Ukrainian beach soccer team became the champion of the Euroleague-2024 tournament in division B, which took place from July 17 to 21 in Batumi, Georgia. The performance of the blue-and-yellow team was summed up by the coach Mykola Kostyenko.

"We analyzed our matches with my assistant Oleksandr Koronyuk and overall the entire tournament. Of course, the coaching staff is satisfied with the result as well as the quality of play. We played very attentively and focused, conceding only six goals in five matches. The effectiveness was also at a good level. Except for perhaps the final match, everything else was excellent. Both player interaction and goalkeeper actions were great; they started attacks well and played excellently on defense. By all indicators, this was one of the best tournaments that the Ukrainian national team has participated in recently."

If we compare it to division A, then the matches there were mixed. Not only European teams but also Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates teams were present. These three teams stood out with good functional preparation. The Emirates, for example, advanced from their group at the last World Championship. This is a high-level team that holds an eighth place in the world ranking. They are tough opponents, and they have a very qualified coach.

Nevertheless, we twice defeated this team (5:2, 4:2 — ed.). But while in the group stage match everything went well and we could have scored more, in the final, which always comes with additional psychological pressure, it was much harder. However, many of our supporters were there, which made us responsible, and we capitalized on our opportunities to win.

I would like to note that in Batumi, two newcomers debuted for Ukraine's national team — Andriy Potapov and Anton Ross. The latter plays for "Alternativa" and was constantly under the watch of the coaching staff. Our team's average age is already over 30, so it needs rejuvenation. And exactly at this tournament, we had a good blend of youth and experience. Anton Ross' main asset is his speed; he is very hardworking. We started involving Andriy Potapov in the national squad last year and called him up again this time. He leads his club and has seamlessly integrated into our team. He scored three goals at the tournament and looked good defensively. It seems like he's been with us for more than a year already.

Once again, I want to emphasize that there were many Ukrainian supporters on the stands in Batumi. Probably the most of all tournaments where we played. Even at the European Games in Poland, there weren't as many of our fans. The final was completely packed with spectators. We are very grateful for their support.

Regarding our immediate plans, we are currently in full swing preparing for the Kiev championship. For example, two great matches between top teams will take place this Sunday. Later at the end of August, the Ukrainian championship will be held, with 8 to 12 clubs participating. In the international calendar for us this year, there remains only the selection tournament for the CS-2025, which will take place in October in Spain. Of course, during our preparation for it, we will try to organize friendlies, as just training alone would not be enough," — said Mykola Kostyenko.

We remind you that the selection tournament for the 2025 World Championship in beach soccer is scheduled for October 4-13 in Cadiz, Spain.