Courtesy: UEFA.com


Murcia ensure European return

Sunday 7 June 2009

ElPozo Murcia FS will join UEFA Futsal Cup holders Interviú Madrid in next season's competition after both won through to the Spanish league play-off final.

Murcia through
With Interviú having clinched their third European title in April, 2007/08 UEFA Futsal Cup runners-up Murcia knew a Spanish final place would ensure their return to continental competition as long as they were up against the capital club. ElPozo, who topped the regular-season table, beat MRA Navarra 8-3 away and 6-2 at home in the quarter-finals to negate the need for a deciding game and did the same in the last four, defeating Lobelle de Santiago 4-3 and 8-5.

Juanru winner
It was not so straightforward for reigning champions Interviú, who required a deciding game in the last eight against Caja Segovia FS, winning 4-2, and in the semi-finals won the first match 4-2 at Pinto FS but on Friday night lost 2-1 after extra time. Therefore on Saturday they lined up for a second visit of Pinto and three times Interviú took the lead only to concede an equaliser before Juanra put the home side 4-3 up with seven minutes left and this time they hung on.

Familiar final
ElPozo will visit Interviú on Friday night for the first game of the best-of-three final, before the action switches to Murcia for the two potential deciders. It will be the seventh year in a row they have met in the final, Interviú prevailing on five occasions with Murcia successful in 2006 and 2007. Among their UEFA Futsal Cup rivals next season will be 2007/08 winners and this year's hosts and runners-up MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg of Russia, and 2004/05 champions Action 21 Charleroi, who wrapped up the Belgian title by beating Futsal Topsport Antwerpen 2-1 away and 6-3 at home.







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