Courtesy: UEFA.com


Araz main threat to Barcelona

Debutants FC Barcelona have high hopes of winning Group B as hosts but 2010 bronze-medallists Araz Naxçivan present a tough challenge alongside FK EP Chrudim and Club Futsal Eindhoven.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

by Gonzalo Aguado, Erkin Ibragimov, Ladislav Josef, Berend Scholten

Araz Naxçivan (AZE)
Araz Naxçivan were founded in 2004 and the following year took the first of what is now seven Azerbaijan titles in a row, and in 2009/10 took UEFA Futsal Cup bronze with a team based around the national squad that were also UEFA Futsal EURO 2010 semi-finalists. Despite losing such key figures as Biro Jade and Serjão, Araz are still ambitious and believe they can outdo Barcelona. Key man Vitaliy Borisov said: "Barça in futsal are almost the same as Barça in football. They may be stronger than us, but we will do our best to beat the odds. We must try to score as many as possible against the two other teams and try not to lose against Barça."

Main Round: Bye

Key Players: Andrey Tveryankin, Vitaliy Borisov, Felipe Ribeiro


FC Barcelona (ESP, hosts)
Last season Barcelona achieved a spectacular treble of Liga, League Cup and Copa del Rey – the first time they had won any of the three titles. Marc Carmona's side began the 2011/12 campaign with hopes of winning all five trophies on offer, however, in the first – the Spanish Super Cup - they fell to Interviú Madrid. Nevertheless, they are unbeaten at the top of the Liga and made a fine European debut in the main round. "Araz have a good side with some stand-out players," the coach said. "The opponents in our way will be a lot harder than those we met in the last phase and have demonstrated that by getting this far."

Main round: KMF Leotar Trebinje 9-0, Győri ETO FC 8-2, FK Nikars Riga 12-0 (Group 2 winners)

Key players: Fernandao, Jordi Torras, Wilde, Sergio Lozano, Javi Rodríguez


FK EP Chrudim (CZE)
Chrudim, winners of seven of the last eight Czech titles, have fallen at this stage four times but have something of a hoodoo against Spanish clubs, having lost 3-1 to ElPozo Murcia FS last year and 5-1 against Interviú in 2009. With five Brazilians in the squad including the 40-year-old player-coach Cacau, they are well prepared for Barcelona‘s playing style, though will be without Czech Republic captain Lukáš Rešetár after he suffered a leg break at last month's Grand Prix in Brazil. "Barcelona are one of the best sides in the world, but we were able to play an even game against the Spanish champions last year," said Chrudim club manager František Tichý.

Main round: Vegakameratene 6-2, MFC Real Chatelineau 2-4, Akademia FC Pniewy 5-2 (Group 4 runners-up)

Key players: Roman Mareš, Michal Mareš, Max


Club Futsal Eindhoven (NED)
Former by a merger in 2008, Eindhoven did their first Dutch double last season and also won the Super Cup, while Karim Bali was elected player of the year. Third so far this year having lost their first game and won six since, they are one of only two survivors at this stage from the initial preliminary round having beaten the very experienced Athina '90 Athens. "The guys did fantastically in qualifying, so I am very satisfied we have come this far," coach Carmelo Nieddu said. "The guys were eager to go to the elite round, and they proved to be worth it. We have got to be realistic now, every group has four top teams. But as a club we can be proud."

Preliminary round: Istanbul Üniversitesi SK 7-3, Excess RP Bidnija 8-2, KMF Zelezarec Skopje 7-4 (Group F winners)

Main round: MFK Dinamo Moskva 5-0 (forfeit), KMN Svea Lesna Litija 2-5, Athina '90 Athens 10-3 (Group 1 winners)

Key players: Adil Zouthane, Najib El Allouchi, Karim Bali




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Kairat and Dinamo matched in 'group of death'

Last season's bronze-medallists Kairat Almaty and 2007 winners MFK Dinamo Moskva collide again in Group A, a section which also includes strong Belgium and Serbian clubs.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

by Mikhail Kozachkov, Dmitri Rogovitski, Aleksandar Boskovic & Berend Scholten


Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
Despite a second UEFA Futsal Cup third place in three years as hosts last season, Kairat's board opted for a summer clear-out with the likes of captain Kelson and FIFA Futsal World Cup winner Anderson departing. They did not begin the season so well with a rare 5-1 aggregate loss to arch-rivals Tulpar Karagandy in the revived Kazakhstan Super Cup but Kairat do have a perfect six league wins so far and are ambitious to make their fifth European semi-final in seven years. "We got the group of death, but our goal is always the same – we want to qualify for the finals," declared club president Kairat Orazbekov, whose team lost to Dinamo in the 2006 semis and for 2008 third-place but beat them for 2009 bronze.

Main round: Bye

Key Players: Leo Santana, Katata, Dinmukhambet Suleimenov


MFK Dinamo Moskva (RUS, hosts)
Dinamo, who reached three UEFA Futsal Cup finals between 2005 and 2007, winning the third, have been absent from Europe for the last two seasons but reclaimed the Russian title from MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg in 2010/11 and comfortably progressed past the main round. A squad backed with Russian and Brazilian internationals, led by experienced Spanish coach Faustino Pérez, have won all six league games so far and as hosts are ambitious to return to the European finals. "We have one of the strongest groups but we will do everything to beat our opponents and to qualify for the next round," said Fernandinho, named best striker of the 2010/11 season.

Main round: Club Futsal Eindhoven 0-5 (default), Athina '90 Athens 9-1, KMN Svea Lesna Litija 4-1 (Group 1 runners-up)

Key players: Fernandinho, Cirilo, Tatù


KMF Ekonomac Kragujevac (SRB)
Ekonomac took their third title in only their 11th year of existence in 2010/11 when they proved themselves a European force too, only missing out on the finals with a last-day defeat by holders SL Benfica. They are doing their bit to promote the sport too. The decisive 5-3 main round win against Uragan Ivano-Frankovsk was shown live on national television for the first time and among their honorary members are European swimming champions Nadja Higl and Milorad Cavic, famed singer Djordje Balasavic, basketball star Aleksandar Djordjevic and former Serbia U21 coach Slobodan Krcmarevic. Top again in Serbia this season, club president Veroljub Dugalic said: "We know what we want and will go directly, but steadily, with only good steps."

Main round: Asa Ben Gurion 6-2, AC Omonia 5-1, Uragan Ivano-Frankovsk 5-3 (Group 6 winners)

Key players: Mladen Kocic, Predrag Rajic, Vladan Cvetanovic


Châtelineau Futsal (BEL)
For only the second time the team that defeated Dinamo in the 2005 final, Action 21 Charleroi, are not representing Belgium in the UEFA Futsal Cup, beaten to the title by a side who were still in the third division when their rivals took the European crown. As well as making a successful debut in the main round, Châtelineau are unbeaten in the league this season with 41 goals from six matches aided by former Charleroi players André Vanderlei, Karim Chaibai, Zico and Liliu. During the main round André became the first player to score a 50th UEFA Futsal Cup goal and coach Christian Vavadio, another former Charleroi man, has had since a 4 November 7-1 defeat of Baio Futsal Morlanwelz to prepare his squad. He said: "With this good result we can now prepare full of belief for the elite round."

Main round: Akademia FC Pniewy 3-2, FK EP Chrudim 4-2, Vegakameratene 2-2 (Group 4 winners)

Key players: André Vanderlei, Karim Chaibai, Zico




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