Courtesy: UEFA.com

Benfica open Futsal Cup defence

SL Benfica begin their title defence against Serbian hosts KMF Ekonomac Kragujevac on 25 November, with FC Time Lviv and MNK Nacional Zagreb also barring their elite round route.

Thursday 18 November 2010

SL Benfica (POR, holders)
Benfica took the UEFA Futsal Cup to Portugal for the first time last season after an epic 3-2 defeat of Interviú FS in front of a competition-record crowd of 9,400 fans at Lisbon's Pavilhão Atlântico. Since then Paulo Fernandes has replaced André Lima as coach, having joined from the side which took their national title, Sporting Clube de Portugal. While Benfica's best-known player Ricardinho completed a long-expected move to Japan's Nagoya Oceans in the summer, Vítor Hugo, Diece, Diego Sol and Teka have all signed and they have made an unbeaten start to the new season.

Main round: Bye
Key players: César Paulo, Joel Queirós, Pedro Costa, Arnaldo Pereira


KMF Ekonomac Kragujevac (SRB)
Formed by enthusiasts and students at the University of Kragujevac on 7 November 2000, the club from the central Serbian city won their second domestic title last season to end KMF Marbo Beograd's dominance. Having hosted their main round group, defeating former European champions Action 21 Charleroi on a perfect run, they can now look forward to the same honour in the elite round. Coach Ivan Božović, whose team are yet to drop a league point, said: "This is the biggest challenge in our history and that detail means enough for us at the moment. But we will prepare ourselves for another brilliant event; we are optimistic."

Main round: Akademia FC Pniewy 3-1, Kremlin Bicêtre United 7-1, Action 21 Charleroi 3-2 (Group 6 winners)
Key players: Predrag Rajić, Vladan Cvetanović, Vidan Bojović, Vladimir Ranisavljević


FC Time Lviv (UKR)
Last season, Time won their second straight Ukrainian title as part of a treble including the Ukrainian Cup and Super Cup. On their European debut a year ago they fell in the elite round at the expense of then holders Interviú; now 50-year-old coach Stanislav Goncharenko, who previously guided FC InterKrAZ Kyiv to three league triumphs, will attempt to go one better despite a mixed opening to the new Ukrainian season. "We are playing the titleholders in the elite round for the second time in a row," said Goncharenko. "There are no unbeaten teams. At home Benfica play one way, but away they are a completely different side. Everyone has an equal chance."

Main round: AGBU Ararat Nicosia 5-1, MNK Orlić Sarajevo 2-1, Athina '90 Athens 9-3 (Group 2 winners)
Key players: Vladyslav Lysenko, Valeriy Legchanov, Oleksandr Kondratyuk


MNK Nacional Zagreb (CRO)
The futsal story of the year in Croatia is Nacional's signing of world-class Brazilian striker Vassoura from Time's domestic rivals FC Shakhtar Donetsk last month, the newcomer linking up with compatriots Fernando, Diego and Ramos. "The move to Zagreb was the best option right now," Vassoura said. "I came to Nacional to win three trophies this season, the UEFA Futsal Cup most of all." Coach Marinko Mavrović added: "Now I am very satisfied with the team I have. But we have to be patient, work hard and I expect top form from my team during the elite round."

Main round: FS Ilves Tampere 7-1, ASA Tel Aviv 2-2, ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5 1-2 (Group 5 runners-up)
Key players: Vassoura, Fernando, Diego, Ramos, Matija Čapar, Korab Morina

Reporters: Hugo Pietra, Aleksandar Bošković, Bogdan Buga & Elvir Islamovic




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Araz in way of Ekaterinburg

Winners in 2008, Group B hosts MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg are aiming to see off 2010 bronze-medallists Araz Naxçivan, ASD Città Di Montesilvano C/5 and AGBU Ararat Nicosia FC.

Thursday 18 November 2010

MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg (RUS)
Ekaterinburg won the UEFA Futsal Cup at their first attempt in 2008 and were runners-up the following season. They missed out on the last four a year ago but remain ambitious after a second straight Russian league triumph. "We have kept our key players and added Nikolay Mal'tsev," said coach Sergei Skorovich. "We also have promising youngsters. Our club remains loyal to its principles. We have the same priorities as before: we try to win every game regardless of our opponents." Sinara are perennial domestic contenders and Konstantin Timoschenkov's absence through injury has been more than offset by the arrivals of Mal'tsev, Alexander Dedov, Andrei Bastrikov and Roman Glavatskih.

Main round: Bye
Key players: Sergei Zuev, Sergei Abramov, Pavel Chistopolov, Nikolay Mal'tsev


Araz Naxçivan (AZE)
The dominant force in Azerbaijani futsal for the last six years, Araz are relishing another chance to make headlines across Europe after taking bronze in the Lisbon finals this April with the spine of the squad that took the national team to the UEFA Futsal EURO 2010 semis in January. Unbeaten in the league, the former football club were defeated by PFC Neftchi in the Azerbaijani Cup final. Though they won all three of their UEFA Futsal Cup main round fixtures, their squad has been depleted by the departures of key men Biro Jade and Serjão. "Our domestic league is getting better and we had to work harder last season to claim the title," said captain Vitaliy Borisov. "I'm sure this will help us to be successful in the elite round."

Main round: Sporting Fingal FC 7-4, FK Nikars Riga 7-2, City'us Târgu Mureş 3-1 (Group 3 winners)
Key players: Andrey Tveryankin, Vitaliy Borisov, Anderson


ASD Città Di Montesilvano C/5 (ITA)
Montesilvano clinched their first Italian title last summer and look well-placed to do likewise this term. Unbeaten in their domestic championship – level with rivals Marca Futsal at the summit – Fulvio Colini's team have been propelled by the goals of Cristian Borruto and Rogerio Da Silva, joint leading scorers in the league with seven strikes apiece. "The draw handed us two very strong opponents and obviously we are not favourites, but this will be an important experience regardless," said Colini, whose side hope to emulate compatriots Luparense C/5's run to the finals last season. "We expect a useful test of our potential."

Main Round: ASA Tel Aviv 6-1, FS Ilves Tampere 6-1, MNK Nacional Zagreb 2-1 (Group 5 winners)
Key players: Cristian Borruto, Marcio Forte, Rogerio Da Silva, Cleyton Baptistella, Stefano Mammarella


AGBU Ararat Nicosia FC (CYP)
The first Cypriot outfit to make it through to the elite round and the only survivors from the preliminary round, Ararat Nicosia ventured into futsal just over a decade ago but have already made quite an impression. They defeated Orlić Sarajevo in order to reach this stage, and that achievement left club chairman Dr Vahakn Atamyan overwhelmed. "Reaching the elite round is a dream come true for me," he said. "It was an emotional occasion and something I have dreamt about ever since we first established our futsal team back in 1998. I am floating in the clouds right now."

Preliminary round: SD Croatia Berlin 3-1, FC Anzhi Tallinn 6-2, FC Levski Sofia West 0-4 (Group D winners)
Main round: FC Time Lviv 1-5, Athina '90 Athens 2-2, MNK Orlić Sarajevo 4-2 (Group 2 runners-up)
Key players: Iakovos Papadopoulos, Davi Menezes, Csoma Alpar, Zoltan Mihaly

Reporters: Vladimir Bogachov, Erkin Ibragimov, Francesco Corda & John Leonidou


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