The Malaga Senior European Cup 2025 took place from 11 to 12 October 2025 in Málaga, Spain, bringing together top-level judoka from across the continent and beyond. Held at the Carranque Sports Complex, the event featured approximately 280 competitors representing 33 nations.
This edition of the European Cup is part of the official IJF / EJU circuit and served both as a competitive platform and a valuable opportunity for judoka to fine-tune international form and collect ranking points. Malaga’s organizing authorities, together with the Spanish and Andalusian judo federations, emphasized the event as a “hub for world-class competitors.”
Format & Participation
The competition adhered to the standard European Cup format: elimination draws with repechage, culminating in bronze medal contests and finals. Both men’s and women’s weight categories were contested — men in –60, –66, –73, –81, –90, –100, +100 kg; women in –48, –52, –57, –63, –70, –78, +78 kg.
On Day 1, the lighter male and heavier female categories were scheduled (–60, –66, –73 men; –63, –70, –78, +78 women). Day 2 saw the remaining weights (–81, –90, –100, +100 men; –48, –52, –57 women) compete through eliminations, repechage, and final blocks.
The competition statistics showed a healthy spread: men’s –73 had 37 entrants; men’s –66 had 32, etc. The host nation, Spain, fielded a large contingent (around 50 athletes) and leveraged home advantage to test performances ahead of other major competitions.
Beyond athletes, the event also hosted an official EJU Continental Referee Examination, giving referee candidates from across Europe the chance to be assessed onsite.
Medal Table Highlights
In the overall medal ranking for Malaga (ijf.org):
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Türkiye led with 4 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze.
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International Judo Federation (IJF Team) came second with 4 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze.
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Spain took third place in the medal standings with 3 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze.
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Portugal and France also made the top five.
In terms of national representation, 33 countries competed, and entry lists showed that Spain had by far the largest team. According to the IJF’s “judoka nations” listing, Sweden participated with 9 judoka.
>>> Final results – ijf.org <<<
Swedish Performance at Malaga 2025
Sweden entered 9 athletes in Malaga 2025, according to the IJF’s nation listing. Among those, the standout result came from Karl Baathe, who clinched silver in the men’s –100 kg category. This is a commendable achievement in a strong international field.
While Baathe’s result was the highest placing, Swedish judoka generally faced tough competition — breaking into medal brackets is challenging at this level, especially with deep rosters from Turkey, Spain, and other strong judo nations. The experience gained in Malaga no doubt contributes to the Swedish federation’s aim to build greater consistency at European and world levels.
Given that Málaga drew many top competitors — including reigning world champions such as Timur Arbuzov (–90 kg) and Matvey Kanikovskiy (–100 kg) — Swedish participants had the opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition.
Going forward, Swedish prospects will aim to translate these exposures into more frequent podium appearances. But the 2025 Malaga European Cup already provides a meaningful benchmark in their developmental journey.
Malaga Senior European Cup 2025 / IJF.org
Malaga Senior European Cup 2025 – European Judo Union
Judo World Championships Juniors 2025 in Lima
Málaga Turned into a Hub for World-Class Competitors – European Judo Union