Courtesy: UEFA.com


Ekaterinburg claim maiden Russian title

Saturday 23 May 2009

This year's UEFA Futsal Cup runners-up MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg will be back in the competition next season after clinching their first Russian Super League title – meaning that MFK Dinamo Moskva will miss out on Europe for the first time since 2002/03.

Advantage
That season was when Dinamo won the first of six straight Russian championships but they have trailed Ekaterinburg for most the season, losing three times and drawing once with Viz, who the capital side beat in the Russian Cup final but lost to 2-0 in the UEFA Futsal Cup last four. Ekaterinburg, who were to lose to Interviú Madrid in the European final on home territory, went into this weekend's fixtures ten points clear of TTG-Ugra Yugorsk and 15 ahead of Dinamo – who had six games left to the leading pair's four.

Coach's joy
Therefore Ekaterinburg were one win away from the title, with Yugorsk not in action, and although Dinamo beat MFK Mytischi 4-1, Viz triumphed 3-2 at MFK Lipetsk. They fell behind early on but Konstantin Agapov equalised and in the last eight minutes Andrei Shabanov scored twice, the second a penalty, before a late Lipetsk consolation. Ekaterinburg coach Sergei Skorovich, whose side won the UEFA Futsal Cup on their debut in 2007/08 having entered as runners-up behind European champions Dinamo, said: "Today has ended a long marathon for us, which began in July last year with pre-season training. The main burden fell on the same players, not just because we reached the Russian Cup and UEFA Futsal Cup finals, but also as our leaders had a lot of games for the national team. That means not only physical but also psychological stress. Money cannot buy these emotions."

Spanish play-offs
Meanwhile, Interviú lost the opening game of their Spanish play-off quarter-final 6-5 on penalties at Caja Segovia after a 3-3 draw but won the return 4-2 to set up a home decider. The winners will play Pinto FS, who beat FC Barcelona 6-4 at home and 4-2 away. ElPozo Murcia FS, who topped the regular season table, are also through following 8-3 and 6-2 wins against MRA Navarra and will take on Lobelle de Santiago FS, who beat Benicarló FS 5-2 in a decider. If Interviú win the title, the runners-up will join the European champions in next year's UEFA Futsal Cup. Among the other entries will be 2008/09 bronze-medallists Kairat Almaty and either 2004/05 winners Action 21 Charleroi or Futsal Topsport Antwerpen, who will meet in the two-legged Belgian play-off final next week.







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com