Courtesy: UEFA.com

Note: due to the fact that this report has been written before the end of the past season, some indications will result as wrong

Team Profile: Russia

Mini-football developed in the Soviet Union during the 1950s in the Latvian Republic. It soon boomed as a winter sport but until the 1980s there were no unified rules or official status, though pan-Soviet competitions were organised. The modern game 'futsal' was introduced in 1990 with the formation of a committee inside the Soviet Football Federation and then the Russian Football Union after the end of the USSR, though before that a league championship was held, won by MFC KSM-24 Moskva, with MFK Dina Moskva then gaining victory in a Commonwealth of Independent States competition in 1992.

At club level, Dina dominated from 1993 until 2000, but after the Russian Super League began in 2003, MFK Dinamo Moskva took every title until MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg's 2008/09 success, that duo also winning the UEFA Futsal Cup in 2006/07 and 2007/08 respectively. On the international stage, Russia made their FIFA Futsal World Cup debut in 1992 and took the bronze medal four years later. They reached the final of the first European Futsal Tournament in 1996, but three years later they turned the tables on Spain to claim the renamed UEFA European Futsal Championship in Granada on penalties, after a superb performance by Russian legend Konstantin Eremenko, who is now president of Dinamo. They also reached the 2005 final, losing to Spain, and made the last four in 2007 and in the 2008 World Cup, after which Oleg Ivanov stepped down as coach, replaced by Sergey Skorovich.

How they qualified
Skorovich took the helm in time for Group 7 in France, and Montenegro were dispatched 7-1 with Aleksandr Fukin, Vladislav Shayakhmetov and Cirilo all striking twice. A 2-0 win against Slovenia then sealed qualification with a game to spare, Pula scoring both goals, and it was also 2-0 against France thanks to Shayakhmetov and Konstantin Maevski.

Key players
With one of the strongest leagues in the world, Russia have plenty of talent to pick from. Skorovich's MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg supply the likes of goalkeeper Sergei Zuev, Aleksei Mokhov, Pavel Chistopolov and Damir Khamadiev while from MFK Dina Moskva come Vladislav Shayakhmetov, Konstantin Maevski and Brazilian-born duo Cirilo and Pula, top scorers respectively in the 2007 European and 2008 World Cup finals. Aleksandr Prudnikov, of Ekaterinburg, helped Russia win the inaugural UEFA European Under-21 Futsal Tournament in St Petersburg last year.

Tournament record
2007: Third place
2005: Runners-up
2003: Group stage
2001: Third place (hosts)
1999: Winners
1996: Runners-up

Other honours
2008: UEFA European Under-21 Futsal Tournament winners (hosts)



Coach Profile: Sergei Skorovich

Date of Birth: 05.04.1973

Nationality: Russian

Playing career: (football) FC Avtomobilist Kokand, FC Trion-Volga Tver, FC Uralets Nizhny Tagil, FC Uralmash Ekaterinburg; (futsal) MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg

Coaching career: MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg (reserves), MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg, Russia

Russia coach Sergei Skorovich made his name with huge success in his debut managerial role at MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg. Originally a football defender, Skorovich began his career with FC Avtomobilist Kokand in Uzbekistan, and at one point had trials with FC Spartak Moskva. That move never went through and he continued his career in the lower divisions, most notably with FC Uralmash Ekaterinburg. In 1995, Skorovich switched to futsal and signed for Viz-Sinara, helping them to league runners-up slots in 1997/98 and 1998/99.

Skorovich retired from playing in 2002, initially to coach Ekaterinburg reserves before taking over the first team in June 2005. In his first two seasons at Viz-Sinara the club were league runners-up behind MFK Dinamo Moskva and in 2006/07 they lifted the Russian Cup. As league champions Dinamo won the UEFA Futsal Cup that year, Ekaterinburg earned a European bow for last season and three second qualifying round wins took Skorovich's side into the final four, where they defeated Kairat Almaty and ElPozo Murcia FS to lift the trophy. They reached the final again in 2008/09, though were beaten by Interviú Madrid; by then Skorovich had been given the role of Russian national coach alongside his club position, aiding them through 2010 UEFA European Futsal Championship qualifying. He was confirmed as coach for the finals in August.


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