New era for European Beach Volleyball officiating with four new Referee Coaches certified in Espinho

This week, the European Refereeing Commission (ERC) successfully trained four new referee coaches, thereby marking a significant step in their ongoing commitment to developing top-tier Beach Volleyball coaching, officiating, and supervision. This initiative, a follow-up to an online refreshment session held in May for all CEV Beach Volleyball Referee Coaches, underscores the ERC’s dedication to support referees with the essential skills and knowledge needed, as the sport continues to grow in popularity in Europe, especially among younger fans.

The practical seminar, held in Espinho alongside the 2025 CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Final, received strong support from local organisers and the Portuguese Volleyball Federation. Leading the training was a highly respected figure in Beach Volleyball referee development: Marc Berard, a renowned FIVB Referee Coach from France, in coordination with Romania’s Oana Sarb, Nations Cup Final Referee Coach and ERC member. Both brought extensive knowledge and experience to the programme, thereby enriching the learning experience for all participants.

Four distinguished former international Beach Volleyball referees - Antonella Vidale (Italy), Bas van der Meijden (Netherlands), Christian Nogara (Belgium), and Sergios Sergiou (Cyprus) - successfully completed the demanding course. Starting in January 2026, these newly certified CEV Referee Coaches will be instrumental in identifying, evaluating, and mentoring promising young referees, thus playing a key role in shaping the future of European Beach Volleyball officiating. 

This action further highlights the ERC’s comprehensive approach to referee development across all disciplines of the sport following a similar programme for Volleyball Referee Coaches organised earlier this month in Serbia.