Courtesy: UEFA.com


Joel relives Benfica joy

by Hugo Pietra from Lisbon

Free-scoring Joel Queirós played a crucial role in SL Benfica's UEFA Futsal Cup victory a year ago and as they prepare to begin this season's finals in Almaty on Friday he spoke to UEFA.com.

Monday 25 April 2011

Joel Queirós was the top scorer in last season's UEFA Futsal Cup – and it paid dividends as his club SL Benfica lifted the trophy on home territory. Joel struck in the 3-2 extra-time final defeat of Interviú Madrid and from Friday will aim to do it again as Benfica return to the showpiece, facing ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5 in the last four in Almaty. The 28-year-old Portuguese international spoke to UEFA.com about last year's achievements and this season's ambitions.


UEFA.com: How did you get into the game?
Joel Queirós: I started to play futsal after being invited by friends. They knew that I had quit playing football and asked me to join their team. I accepted and I liked it. I have been playing futsal ever since. Apart from scoring goals there is a natural pleasure playing futsal as it is a sport where emotions are very intense due to the speed of the match. In a futsal game there is emotions right until the last second as the match is never won until then.


UEFA.com: What was it like to score in the final last season?
Joel: To score a goal is a wonderful feeling and to score in the UEFA Futsal final is doubly so. It was an important goal because we were a goal behind it put us in the game again. Lifting the trophy was the best sensation I have had in my sporting career to date. It was the accomplishment of my greatest futsal dream, to win the UEFA Futsal Cup.


UEFA.com: You won last season playing at home. How crucial was it to play in front of your fans?
Joel: It was our greatest weapon last year. It was a plus having around 10,000 fans supporting us against a team like Interviú. Of course it is an advantage to play at home but a competition like the UEFA Futsal Cup is always hard, wether you play at home or away as the four teams in the final stage are very strong.


UEFA.com: You played for ElPozo Murcia FS before coming to Benfica. What did you learn from your time in Spain?
Joel: In Spain I played for Murcia and MRA Navarra. To play in the Spanish league was another dream fulfilled as I played with some of the best futsal players. I've learned lots of things with them as they are very detailed in their work. I become a better player tactically. I think the Spanish league is still the best in Europe.


UEFA.com: How do you assess Benfica's chances of retaining the trophy?
Joel: The fact that we won the competition last year will not give us any advantage. I think the four teams have the same chance of winning. It was already hard to reach the finals as we had to eliminate very powerful teams.


UEFA.com: You could end up facing Sporting Clube de Portugal in the final. That says a lot about the strength of futsal in Portugal...
Joel: Portuguese futsal continues to evolve. The results speak for themselves. We won the UEFA Futsal Cup at club level and we had a good UEFA Futsal EURO 2010 with the national team.


UEFA.com: Ricardinho left the club ahead of this season but you still managed to qualify for the finals. How did the team deal with his departure?
Joel: Ricardinho is a wonderful player and he was decisive in last season's titles. In my opinion Benfica were very good in the transfer market as we still have an excellent squad with a very strong team.


UEFA.com: Have you had to take on more responsibility since he left?
Joel: No. I still have the same responsibilities. I am just one more player in the squad to help the club and who tries to do what the coach asks in order to achieve the club's goals at the end of the season.


UEFA.com: Explain a bit what the rivalry with Sporting is like?
Joel: In sport the rivalry is made by the fans. For the players is always special playing a match against Sporting – home or away – as the arenas are always full. However we cannot think anything more than winning the matches.


UEFA.com: What is it like to have them here in the finals?
Joel: Primarily, it shows the strength of Portuguese futsal. Apart from that they are one more powerful team which is enjoying a great time. If we play against them we will try to win to accomplish one of the goals we have set for the season.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Suleimenov confident Kairat can capture crown

Dinmukhambet Suleimenov holds his own with the Brazilians in the Kairat Almaty lineup and as they prepare to host the finals he tells UEFA.com that they have a "70%" chance of success.

by Mikhail Kozachkov from Almaty

Monday 25 April 2011

Kairat Almaty have lost in the semi-finals of the UEFA Futsal Cup three times since 2006 but as hosts of this season's showpiece, facing Sporting Clube de Portugal on Friday, they have a "70%" chance of victory according to Dinmukhambet Suleimenov. The strongest local player in a Brazilian-dominated team who recently clinched another Kazakhstan championship, the 29-year-old joined after their last finals appearance in 2009 and the scorer of a vital elite round goal against Iberia Star Tblisi spoke to UEFA.com about the honour of hosting the finals and the Brazilian influence at the club.


UEFA.com: What does it mean for Kairat to host the finals?
Dinmukhambet Suleimenov: For me personally it will be the first final tournament. I joined the team two years ago, after Kairat had finished third. To tell the truth, I've always dreamed about winning this trophy. I think it's the main achievement for any player.


UEFA.com: How significant is it for sport in Kazakhstan and the country in general?
Suleimenov: I believe it's really important for Kazakh futsal. There are not many teams in our league; futsal is developing quite slowly here. As a player, I want more strong clubs to compete in the national league. Thousands of spectators will come to the UEFA finals. I hope there will be some who'll want to invest in futsal – sponsors and sport administrators – so there'll be more strong teams next year. It'll be a success for the whole of Kazakhstan. We just organised the Asian Winter Games and want to host Olympic Games in the future. Every big sporting event is a great holiday for the country. Sports are improving all the time in Kazakhstan.


UEFA.com: What is the advantage of playing in front of your home supporters?
Suleimenov: It's a big plus, of course. We played the elite round in Almaty, and it's a totally different feeling. There are never so many spectators at a Kazakh league match. Here we played for the whole country, and we felt huge support. I am sure there'll be even more fans at the final round.


UEFA.com: The coach and eight players in the Kairat squad are from Brazil. What's the working language in the team?
Suleimenov: At training a translator helps us, but during matches we speak Russian, Kazakh and Portuguese. That's quite a mixture. Actually, our Brazilians show great willingness to learn new words. Katata will be able to write articles in Russian soon.


UEFA.com: What do you most enjoy about working and playing with Brazilians?
Suleimenov: I like their attitude towards life. They are so happy with each victory. If we win, they always dance and sing in the dressing room. At first I stayed out of it, but now I always join in.


UEFA.com: You are the only Kazakh player who gets lots of playing time at Kairat. Can you see a day when Kazakh players are on a par with the imports?
Suleimenov: When I've played for other sides, I didn't like the fact that foreigners are the top players at Kazakh clubs. But now I know that it's for a reason. They play better. But I also see that our young players want to be like them. We have many young Kazakh players at Kairat. If they practice hard, they'll make the starting lineup in the coming years.


UEFA.com: How do you rate Kairat's chances of winning the Futsal Cup?
Suleimenov: We are at home, so our chances are high. I would rate them as 70%. We have to make the final, and then we'll do our best to get the trophy.


UEFA.com: What do you think of your semi-final opponents Sporting?
Suleimenov: They beat the Spanish champions [ElPozo Murcia FS] in the elite round, and that says a lot.


UEFA.com: How strong a side are SL Benfica?
Suleimenov: I saw videos of Benfica playing in the elite round. There small moments made the difference, when someone took the initiative on himself.


UEFA.com: ...and ASD Città di Montesilvano C/5?
Suleimenov: I have to say – they really surprised me. I saw their games versus MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg and Araz Naxçivan – they were lucky both times. They scored a very lucky goal against Araz.


UEFA.com: Tell us about Kelson, what makes him special as a player?
Suleimenov: Kelson is our captain. He is a very nice person; it's easy to communicate with him. When he arrived, we all knew he won the UEFA Futsal Cup twice [with Action 21 Charleroi and MFK Dinamo Moskva]. But he doesn't have a slightest 'star sickness', and he doesn't act like a super-player. He is a normal guy, just like everybody else. That's what I like about him.


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