Friday to Sunday

Footvolley spectacle in Graz City Park

Fans can look forward to racy scenes and spectacular interludes in the Stadtpark throughout the weekend.(Bild: Mueller)

The "Casarista Open" starts on Friday with the qualifiers, on Saturday and Sunday the top stars work their magic in the sandbox.

The footvolley arena in Graz City Park (near the former traffic education garden) is finished and the sandpit has long since been inaugurated with a few training sessions by the local aces. And things are already hotting up there on Friday: ten teams will be fighting for the two open starting places for the "Casarista Open" in the qualifiers from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. "This tournament will be the best ever on European soil," emphasized Benedikt Hofmann-Wellenhof, head of the association, at the draw on Wednesday.

16 teams, peppered with the world's best players from a total of nine nations, will thrill the fans on Saturday (group phase from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and on the final day on Sunday (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) with racy scenes, spectacular interludes and hot matches. Admission is free for all visitors!

After the draw, there was a photo session on Wednesday.(Bild: Manfred Schaffer)

Graz City Councillor Kurt Hohensinner, who will be taking to the sandbox himself on Sunday, is also delighted: "Graz has long since established itself as the footvolley capital." That's why three Brazilian professionals will be taking part, as well as top players from Germany, Italy and Israel. Austria's greatest hope of winning the tournament lies with the brothers Jakob and Klemens Hofmann-Wellenhof.

By the way: on June 1 and 2, the women's elite will compete in the "Thumfort Open" in the Stadtpark.