The allocation of the last tickets for the 2024 European Championships in Netanya (January 3 – 16) is just a few days away. The qualifications will take place across Europe over three days (June 23 – 25).
Groups for the qualifications
MEN
GROUP A (host Netherlands): Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal.
GROUP B (host Malta): Germany, Malta, Ukraine, Bulgaria.
GROUP C (host Turkey): Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Great Britain.
GROUP D (host Slovenia): Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Finland.
WOMEN
GROUP A (host Bulgaria): Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria,
GROUP B (host Romania): Romania, Switzerland, Turkey, Sweden.
GROUP C (host Serbia): Serbia, Ukraine, Czech Republic,
GROUP D (host Portugal): Germany , Portugal, Finland, Great Britain.
For the first time, 16 teams will participate in the women’s Europeans. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the tournament in Israel and join already qualified teams (the top 8 from the European Championships).
Israel men weren’t among the top 8 in Split, but they are qualified as the host. Therefore, seven male teams will qualify for the 2024 Europeans (the group winners and the best three 2nd-placed teams).
New formula
With the upcoming allocation of tickets for the 2024 European Championships in Netanya just around the corner, it’s interesting to consider what awaits the qualified teams in Israel.
The competition formula has been changed to be similar to the recently finished World U20 Championships and the same as at the European U17 Championships that will be held in Turkey. Also, it’s similar to the European U15 CHampionships.
However, a new format for the European Senior Championships was approved, too.
What this new format will bring to the tournament?
The teams at the European Championships will be split into two, as we informally call them, divisions. The top eight teams from the previous championships will be in a higher division (1), and the other qualified teams in Division 2.
There will be four groups with four teams each in the first phase but with a new format.
According to the document available on LEN’s website, the top eight teams (directly qualified) will be drawn into groups A and B and sorted into pots based on their rankings in the previous championships. Batch 1 will include the teams ranked 1st and 2nd. Batch 2 will have the teams ranked 3rd and 4th, and Batch 3 will include those ranked 5th and 6th. Batch 4 will have the teams ranked 7th and 8th.
So, we already know the batches for the draws of groups A and B based on the standings at the 2022 Europeans in Split..
Men
1st batch: Croatia and Hungary
2nd batch: Spain and Italy
3rd batch: Greece and France
4th batch: Montenegro and Georgia
Women
1st batch: Spain and Greece
2nd batch: Italy and Netherlands
3rd batch: Hungary and Israel
4th batch: France and Croatia
Photo: Total Waterpolo/ Laszlo Balogh.
The teams that advance to the Europeans through qualifications will be in groups C and D.
For the groups C and D, the batches for the draw will be:
1st batch: The teams ranked 1st at the Qualifications (four teams)
2nd batch: The teams ranked 2nd at the Qualifications (four teams)
(Since only seven teams will come from the qualifications for the male Championships, the eight in the batch for groups C and D will be host Israel).
Once the group stage concludes, the top two teams from Groups A and B will proceed to the quarterfinals. The teams that place third or fourth in Groups C and D will compete in a classification round for places 13th-16th, with the winners of the matches playing for 13th place and the losers playing for 15th place.
As for the teams in the middle (3rd-placed and 4th placed in groups A and B, and 1st-placed and 2nd placed in groups C and D), they will try to qualify for the quarterfinals in a crossover round following this formula:
CO MATCH 1: 4A – 1C
COM 2: 4B – 1D
COM3: 3B – 2D
CO4: 3A – 2C.
The winners of the crossover matches will qualify for the quarterfinals. The formula of the Round of 8 is as follows:
1B – Winner CO1
1A – Winner CO2
2A – Winner CO3
2B – Winner CO4
The winners go to the semifinals, the losers to the 5th-8th classification, the losers of the crossover matches will play in the 9th -12th place classification,etc.
