TEAM SWITZERLAND has become one of the powerhouses of European beach football and have proved with their style of play and performances that they can take on anyone in the world.
SWITZERLAND
World ranking: 6
Group A: with the Bahamas,
Senegal and Ecuador
The road to Nassau
Switzerland began the European qualifiers with three wins out of three in the first group phase, in which they scored 33 goals and conceded just one, against Lithuania.
After needing extra time to see off Turkey in the second group phase, the Swiss then beat Azerbaijan 7-6 and Spain 8-4 to make sure of their place at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017.
A 3-1 win over Portugal took them into the final, where they fell to a surprise 6-3 defeat to Poland.
Strengths and style
Angelo Schirinzi’s team has impressed since finishing runners-up at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009. Known for their cultured brand of football, the Swiss have become one of the powerhouses of European beach football and have proved with their style of play and performances that they can take on anyone in the world.
FIFA Beach Soccer
World Cup record
Switzerland surprised everyone when making their Beach Soccer world finals debut at Dubai 2009, easing to the final, where they went down 10-5 to Brazil. A repeat of those exploits was beyond them at Ravenna, Italy 2011, when they went out in the group phase after narrow defeats to Italy and Senegal. Absent from Tahiti 2013, the Swiss returned at Portugal 2015, reaching the quarter-finals before going out to the hosts and eventual champions.
• The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017 will be held in Nassau from April 27 to May 7.
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