SLUISKIL/PORTO - The European final three-cushion for club teams will not be organized in Sluiskil next year, but in Porto. This year's winner Dallinga had the right to organize the 2016. The Dutch have passed the tournament to FC Porto. The playing date is still unknown: it will be probably the first week of July.
The reason to pass the organization, according Meerten Dallinga, the chairman in Sluiskil is that it will be difficult to realize the budget and because his team with Frédéric Caudron, Dick Jaspers, Eddy Merckx and Jean Paul de Bruijn has fallen apart. Therefore, the reigning European champion can't defend his title in the strongest line-up.
Dallinga: ,,I have noticed for a long time that it's hard to find sponsors, both for such an organization and to sponsor a team with big names in the league. We were already looking at the World Cup in Porto. Jean Paul de Bruijn negotiated with Alipio, the organizer of the FC Porto World Cup, who was interested in the organization,. And finally we came to each other in the negotiations.''
BC Andernos, the number two in this year's the European Cup, was also a candidate but withdrew.
The European champion loses Dick Jaspers and Eddy Merckx for the upcoming league: only Caudron and De Bruijn keep on playing for the current champion. Dallinga: ,,In addition, there is a chance that Caudron will play in the European qualification for a Turkish team. That all made me decide to give away the organization.''
Bennie Deegens, on behalf of the CEB (European federation) confirms that the organization has been given to FC Porto. ,,We didn't find a date so far, but it will be on our calendar very shortly.''
The organization of the European Cup final remains the same: two teams, Dallinga and FC Porto, are seeded, six other teams must qualify in the preliminaries.