Caption: The event poster of the ECL25 Rostock Qualification Stage
The second qualification stage of the 2025 EGCA Champions League season will be played this coming weekend in a well-known location for the international goalball community—Rostock, Germany, a true goalball city. The stage will feature eight teams from seven different countries.
On Friday 7th March all 12 group-stage matches will take place. Saturday 8th March will feature thrilling quarterfinals, followed by high-stakes semifinals in the early evening, where the first spots in the final stage will be up for grabs in extremely competitive matchups. On Sunday 9th March the medal and placement matches will be played. The bronze medal match in particular will be highly significant, as the winner will secure the third and final spot in the final stage in Matosinhos, Portugal, in June.
This time placement matches will also hold additional importance, as the EGCA European Cup tournament will be introduced for the first time at the end of the year. Teams that fail to qualify for the final stage may still earn a place in this event based on their ranking.
How do the teams approach the stage? Below is a brief preview. And to find out how the stage unfolds, you can follow the matches live on the GoalballTV YouTube channel. Please find team line-ups, results and much more information on the official event web page.
RGC HANSA – THE HOSTS BEGIN THEIR QUEST FOR GOLD
RGC Hansa has grown into one of Europe’s leading and most influential goalball clubs in recent years. Last season, the team secured its first-ever Champions League medal on the men’s side, finishing as runners-up in the Belgian final stage—coming remarkably close to the European title.
The core of the team has remained exactly the same as last year, so under the leadership of Mario Turloff the squad has only one goal this season: first securing a place in the final stage on home soil, and then conquering the European championship in Portugal this summer. Among the players, John Turloff is undoubtedly a strong contender for the top scorer title of the season.
INVASPORT UKRAINE – TIME TO MAKE UP FOR LAST YEAR’S MISTAKE
The 2021 Champions League winner, Invasport Ukraine, is certainly one of the top favorites—alongside RGC Hansa—to advance from the Rostock qualification stage. The same was expected last season in Kraków, but the team suffered a major setback, finishing fifth and missing out on a spot in the final stage.
This time, the experienced and success-driven Ukrainian squad will be determined not to let the challenges of an increasingly competitive club scene surprise them. Vasyl Oliinyk is expected to lead Invasport’s attack, while Oleksandr Toporkov will be the key pillar of the defense as the team’s center.
ASD OMERO BERGAMO – THE ITALIAN CHAMPIONS READY TO CHALLENGE EUROPE’S BEST
ASD Omero Bergamo recently won its seventh consecutive Italian championship, but success in the Champions League has yet to materialize. Last season in Kraków, the team showed flashes of brilliance, ultimately finishing in seventh place.
Although Omero Bergamo is not among the top favorites this time either, the team has a strong chance to position itself well for the European Cup. One standout player is the true “Grand Old Man” of Italian goalball, 62-year-old Dario Merelli, who will become the oldest player ever in the Champions League if he takes the court. Meanwhile, Italian national team player Christian Belotti will be a key figure in the team’s attack.
FSBU GOTHENBURG – HOW FAR CAN YOUTHFUL ENERGY TAKE THEM?
FSBU Gothenburg will make its Champions League debut in the Rostock qualification stage. The Swedish squad is the youngest team in the entire competition, as all of its players were born in the 2000s.
The team has immense potential, with several of Sweden’s brightest goalball prospects, including the physically imposing Felix Rosvall and Olof Ryberg. If the young squad finds its flow, they could pose a real challenge for the pre-stage favorites in the decisive matches. However, the main goal for Gothenburg is to gain valuable experience from high-level international competition.
NGA LIONS-ACME – LITHUANIANS WON’T GIVE UP THEIR THRONE EASILY
Lithuanian dominance has been evident in the Champions League in recent years, with the country’s top players winning the title three consecutive times under the Saltinis name. Although the team now competes under a new name, it remains among the favorites in Rostock.
This squad boasts a wealth of experience, a winning mentality, and the necessary resilience for decisive matches. Veterans with multiple international medals—Nerijus Montvydas, Mantas Brazauskis and Arturas Jonikaitis—form a formidable trio that will lead Lithuania’s slightly rejuvenated team in the battle for a spot in the final stage.
NÄPÄJÄ – A MIX OF LEGENDS AND RISING STARS WITH A JAPANESE TWIST
Finland’s oldest goalball club, Näpäjä, last reached the Champions League final stage in 2023. However, last season in Kraków, the team finished fourth in the qualification stage—just missing out on a place in the finals.
This year, Näpäjä enters the competition with an intriguing lineup, featuring both Paralympic champions from 13 years ago and promising talents from the Finnish national team. Adding an international touch is Japan’s Yuta Kawashima, who has represented his country in multiple major tournaments. The team has the potential to play rock-solid defense, but the key question is whether they can score efficiently enough in the knockout stage to book a ticket to the finals in June.
GC PERUN – CAN BOSEK GET ENOUGH SUPPORT?
GC Perun has been the standard-bearer of Czech goalball, with its peak moment in the Champions League coming in the 2018-2019 final stage, where the team won silver. Two years later, the Czech squad reached the bronze medal match but ultimately finished fourth.
Last season however, the team had a lackluster qualification stage in Berlin, ending up in eighth place. The undisputed star of the team remains the towering 2-meter-tall Jan Bosek, whose powerful throws earned him third place in the goal-scoring charts in Berlin. However, for GC Perun to compete with the top contenders, the rest of the team must significantly raise their level.
SSG BLISTA MARBURG – GAINING EXPERIENCE WITHOUT PRESSURE
SSG Blista Marburg made an impressive debut in the Champions League last season, finishing sixth in the Berlin qualification stage. Once again, the German squad enters the competition with a relaxed approach, looking to challenge stronger opponents and gain valuable international experience.
The team is coached by Stefan Weil, the head coach of Germany’s men’s national team, ensuring solid preparation. Key players include offensive powerhouse Nils Emig and versatile two-way player Daniel Arendar. The squad also features the stage’s only female player, Annkathrin Denker, a member of the German women’s national team.