The annual European Padel Championships have been renamed the ‘FIP Euro Padel Cup’ and expanded to 40 teams in both men’s and women’s events to meet demand from an ever-growing number of nations.
The inaugural FIP Euro Padel Cup will be divided into three phases, the first two of which will be played from 7-13 July at the same as-yet unannounced venue.
In the first phase, which will last four days, the national teams with the lowest rankings will compete for four places in the second phase, when the national teams from fifth to 16th place in the European rankings will enter the scene.
For the next three days, they will then compete for qualification to the final phase. Awaiting the four qualifying teams from the second phase will be Spain, Italy, Portugal and France, the top four nations in the European ranking. The eight finalists will then be divided into two groups of four, from which the four semi-finalists will emerge.
Great Britain’s men’s and women’s teams finished seventh and 10th respectively in last year’s European Championships, so would be likely to enter the FIP Euro Padel Cup in the second phase.
FIP Preisdent Luigi Carraro commented: “The FIP Euro Padel Cup is a sign of the exceptional growth of padel and the answer to a need that is the result of the planning of the last few years.
“We have always said that the goal was to progressively widen the perimeter of passion and involvement, working on a sport that today is considered a global phenomenon. Thanks to teamwork with the national federations, we have recorded the growth of padel in an increasing number of countries, the rise of the technical level, and the consequent greater demand for participation in major continental events.
“From here, the unavoidable need to redesign the competitions, starting with the European Championships, on the occasion of the 14th edition. The national team’s jersey is pure magic for the players, and this FIP Euro Padel Cup will make history in our sport.”
