European Customs Football Championship in Maria Alm
France claims the title at the foot of the Hochkönig – Austria secures third place and provides the tournament's best player.
After many years without a championship, the Austrian Customs Sports Association (Zollsportverein Österreich) revived the football tradition among European customs administrations. Against the stunning mountain backdrop of the Hochkönig, teams from Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, France and Austria gathered in Maria Alm to compete for the title of European Customs Football Champion.
France demonstrated its quality from the very beginning, remaining unbeaten throughout the group stage and advancing to the semi-finals. Norway finished second, followed by Austria in third and Sweden in fourth, completing the line-up for the knockout stage.

Dramatic semi-final for Austria
The semi-finals provided plenty of excitement and fiercely contested matches. France secured the first place in the final with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Sweden.
The encounter between Austria and Norway proved particularly dramatic. After falling 2–0 behind, the Austrian customs officers showed tremendous fighting spirit, turning the match around to take a 3–2 lead. A place in the final seemed within reach, but with just 15 seconds remaining, Norway struck with virtually the last kick of the game to level the score at 3–3.
The match was decided by a penalty shootout, in which Norway prevailed 5–3 to secure its place in the final.
Despite the disappointment, Austria bounced back in the third-place play-off. A narrow but well-deserved 1–0 victory over Sweden earned the Austrian team the bronze medal.
France crowned European Customs Football Champion
In the final, France left no doubt about its ambitions. An emphatic 5–0 victory over Norway underlined the team's quality and secured the European Customs Football Championship title. The tournament's top scorer award also went to France.
Austria had another reason to celebrate: Stefan Haberleitner from the Northern Customs Office (Dienststelle Nord) was voted Player of the Tournament by the participating teams.
Haberleitner received the prestigious individual award ahead of several outstanding French players and Sweden's Safit Besic, who had also played in Sweden's top football division.

A successful event with an eye on the future
The championship concluded with a social evening, bringing together players and officials from all participating nations. It provided an opportunity to celebrate the sporting achievements, strengthen international friendships and discuss initial plans for the next tournament.
With the successful revival of the championship in Maria Alm, the Austrian Customs Sports Association has made an important contribution to promoting sporting exchange and camaraderie among European customs administrations.
The tournament was a fitting demonstration of how football can bring colleagues from different countries together – both on and off the pitch.

Results
Semi-final 1: FRANCE – SWEDEN 2:1
Semi-final 2: NORWAY – AUSTRIA 3:3 (5:3)
5th place: LUXEMBOURG – ITALY 3:1
3rd place: SWEDEN – AUSTRIA 0:1
FINAL: FRANCE – NORWAY 5:0