Austria achieves a fantastic third place at the 2024 EBSA European Championship in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by national champion Florian Nüßle, with four out of five local participants qualifying for the knockout phase.
The field of contenders for the title of European Snooker Champion was large, with 184 participants. The prestige of this trophy, contested annually, is heightened by the fact that it awards a 2-year ticket to the Snooker Main Tour.
Austria fielded five players in this year’s edition, led by reigning national champion Florian Nüßle. The local quintet included Thomas Janzso (runner-up in 2023), Paul Schopf (winner of the Grand Prix season opener), Oskar Charlesworth (leader of the Austrian Snooker League rankings), and Mario Bodlos (fourth in the rankings).
The group stage was quite positive for the Austrian delegation, with Paul Schopf and Florian Nüßle both winning all their games with three victories each, thus advancing undefeated to the knockout phase. Schopf even secured a direct entry into the round of the last 64 players with strong results, while Nüßle, due to a disadvantage in frame difference, had to start in the round of Last 96.
 Paul Schopf | Group U3-0 vs.  Tudor Popescu3-1 vs.  Valerio Grandi3-1 vs.  Patrik Tiihonen |
Florian Nüßle | Group F 3-1 vs.  Taras Ulianchenko 3-2 vs.  Jack Borwick3-2 vs.  Michał Kotiuk |
Thomas Janzso and Mario Bodlos also qualified for the round of Last 96, having won two out of their three group matches quite convincingly.
| Thomas Janzso | Group AF 2-3 vs. (NI) Joel Connolly 3-1 vs.  Felix Frede3-0 vs. Cosmin Arsene |
Mario Bodlos | Group AG 3-2 vs.  Dorjan Maknori0-3 vs.  Daniel Kandi3-1 vs.  Arturs Kengis |
Only Oskar Charlesworth, despite a victory in the final group match following two defeats, couldn’t advance, thus ending his European Championship journey after the group stage.
| Oskar Charlesworth | Group H 1-3 vs. Robin Otto2-3 vs.  Bulcsú Révész 3-1 vs.  Petar Koloski |
From an Austrian perspective, unfortunately, the start of the knockout phase was marked by two losses, as both Thomas Janzso and Mario Bodlos were defeated by their opponents Andrejs Pripjoks from Latvia and Alexis Callewaert from France, each with a score of 0-4.
| Thomas Janzso |
0-4 | vs. Andrejs Pripjoks |
Last 96 |
| Mario Bodlos |
0-4 | vs.  Alexis Callewaert |
Last 96 |
Florian Nüßle then provided the first Austrian success story after the group stage, winning decisively against his Serbian opponent, the young 13-year-old Tadija Matijasevic, with a score of 4-0.
| Florian Nüßle |
4-0 | vs.  Tadija Matijasevic |
Last 96 |
Thus, in the round of the last 64, according to the seeding after the group stage, the remaining two Austrians, Paul Schopf and Florian Nüßle, faced each other. While this meant Austria would be represented in the round of 32, it was also seen as extremely unfortunate since both Schopf and Nüßle had clear ambitions beyond this stage. The seven-time national champion from Salzburg decisively advanced to the next round with a 4-0 victory, leaving Paul Schopf with a shared 33rd place.
Florian Nüßle’s impressive winning streak, which had begun during the group stage – unlike the first two knockout rounds – became increasingly evident with each subsequent round. Although he suffered frame losses again, he maintained a firm grip against former pro Peter Lines (4-1), France’s rising star Brian Ochoiski (4-2), and Robin Hull (4-2), another former Main Tour player from Finland, securing victories in each case. Following a thrilling penultimate day of play, he found himself in the semifinals of this year’s European Championships.
There, he faced Northern Irish youngster Robbie McGuigan, who had defeated Ukrainian ex-pro Iulian Boiko, a close friend of Nüßle’s, in the quarterfinals with a 4-3 scoreline. McGuigan had generally won all matches except his Last 64 match in deciders, including the one against the 22-year-old Austrian.
With McGuigan enjoying a mental advantage at 3-2, Nüßle returned to the game with his highest tournament break of 110, pushing the match to a decider once again. However, McGuigan, showing nerves of steel, demonstrated his ability to handle such decisive frames with a crucial break of 71 points, securing his place in the final.
| Florian Nüßle |
4-0 | vs. Paul Schopf |
Last 64 |
| 4-1 | vs.  Peter Lines |
Last 32 | |
| 4-2 | vs.  Brian Ochoiski |
Last 16 | |
| 4-2 | vs. Robin Hull |
Last 8 | |
| 3-4 | vs. (NI) Robbie McGuigan | Last 4 |
In the final, Craig Steadman (41), another player with ample Main Tour experience and a welcomed guest at the annually held and highly regarded Vienna Snooker Open, awaited the less experienced Northern Irishman (19). While experience can often make a difference in cue sports, the hunger and euphoria of an emerging youngster can often level the playing field. Steadman had to acknowledge that he was facing an opponent with nerves of steel in Robbie McGuigan. The Northern Irishman – how could it be otherwise? – won the dramatic final in a decider once again, sealing his deserved title as the European Snooker Champion 2024. Congratulations!
From a domestic perspective, the Austrian Snooker and Billiards Association (ÖSBV) is delighted with the positive results of the five local representatives, showcasing the vibrant Austrian snooker scene. Florian Nüßle’s podium finish, coupled with his status as the U21 World Amateur Champion of 2021, not only highlights his remarkable individual performance but also underscores the excellent national development. The ÖSBV looks forward to further positive international results, even more so if they mean that the association “loses” a local player to the professional tour for the first time in its history, albeit with tears of joy.
Photograph: @ Louisa Wörthmüller