The European Men’s Roller Hockey Championships will be held for the first time in the Autonomous Community of Galicia in its 53 editions of history, although Spain has already hosted in eight previous occasions in different locations, Barcelona (1951, 1954, 1957 and 1979), Bilbao (1967), Oviedo (1987 and 2008) and Alcobendas (2014).
Portugal is the country of the European continent where the event has most often been held, 13 times, and followed by Italy and Switzerland with 9, a figure that will equal Spain with the one that will be held at the Palacio de los Deportes de Riazor in A Coruña from July 14th to 22nd. In addition, it is the most represented in recent years, since the 1994 edition on the Portuguese island of Madeira, eleven national teams had never met to participate in it. Along with the four countries mentioned, another four have hosted a European as Great Britain (6 times), Germany (5) and Belgium and France with one each have also hosted the continental meeting.
Portugal leads the absolute record, both in number of podiums, with 43, and titles obtained with 21 golds to which we must add 12 silvers and 10 bronzes. It is followed by Spain with 38 podiums distributed in 16 golds, 16 silvers and 6 bronzes and Italy with 36 medals broken down into three golds, thirteen silvers and twenty bronzes. And much further away are the rest of the teams, with England adding thirteen podiums and twelve titles, all of them achieved in the first editions of the championship and consecutively to which we must add a silver. Germany and Switzerland with 2 silvers and 4 bronzes each, Holland (4 bronze medals) and Belgium (one silver and one bronze), complete the medals of the European Championship and whose next edition in A Coruña will go together with Austria and Andorra willing to fight for the title, whose champion will be known on Sunday, July 22nd, at the stroke of nine o’clock at night.
There is no doubt that this is a great opportunity to enjoy the best roller hockey of the moment in a spectacular city such as A Coruña, which lives this sport every hour of the day and which will also be benefited by the affordable prices of the tickets for the 40 matches that will be played over nine days.
[Photos: Luis Velasco Hevia]
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