Women's futsal Russia - 20 years

by Oleg Baskakov

special thanks to Doug Reed

In 2012 Women's Futsal in Russia marks their twentieth anniversary. Futsalplanet.com portal offers it’s readers a historical essay, dedicated to this anniversary event.

1. Organization
The Women's Futsal Association of Russia (FIFA) was created on May 19, 1992 (President - Anastasia Gorban). For a variety of historical reasons in the period 1992-2007 women's futsal evolved independently from the men's tournaments. This independence contributed to the further development of the sport. However, Futsal Association of Russia (AMFR) categorically did not want to develop this discipline, despite the significant interest of young Russian girls. Only with the arrival of the current Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko were women's tournaments, due to his work, transferred to the AMFR.

2. Clubs
The first champion of Russia in 1993 was «Baltika» (Sankt-Peterburg). In 1994, «Baltika» won the Cup of Russia. The most successful women's futsal club is «Rokada» («Kontur-Junior», «Lokomotiv»), «Rokada» until it’s disappearance from futsal (FIFUSA-AMF) it won the championship of Russia seven times (1994/94 1994/95 1997/98, 1998 / 99 1999/00 to 2000/01 2001/02) and the Russian Cup four times (1993, 1999, 2001 and 2002). In the season 2011/12 "Rokada" Volgograd returned back to the highest women's futsal league but it took only fifth place. The strongest club in Russia became «Laguna-UOR» from Penza who won the championship four times (2007/08 2008/09 2010/11 2011/12). «Laguna-UOR» - Cup of Russia (2008/09 2010/2011 and 2011/2012). Three league titles (2003/04 and 2004/05 2005/06) and two Russian Cup (2003, 2004/05) there is «Chertanovo» Moscow. Currently, the team from Moscow is absent from elite women's futsal. Twice champion (1995/96 1996/97) and the Cup of Russia (1997, 2005/06) was the team from the Moscow region "Snezhana-Kotelniki". The strongest team of the championship in 2009/2010 was «Aurora» (Sankt-Peterburg). «Aurora», as «Rokada», more than ten years before, played in futsal (FIFUSA-AMF), won the Russian Cup in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2009/10. The team "Viktoria" from Nizhny Novgorod Region - Russian Champion 2006/07 and Cup of Russia 2006/07 and 2007/08.
In addition to these teams, in women’s futsal clubs existed in Vladimir, Saratov, Ussuriysk, Olonets (Karelia), Belgorod, Tula and other cities of Russia. There has been a total of twenty years of official competitions in women's futsal in Russia with participation of more than fifty teams.

3. Players and referees
The best female futsal player at this time, with no doubt, is Pavlina Borodina. For many years Pavlina played for the team from Volgograd. Then brought in leaders "Viktoria" from Nizhny Novgorod Region. Currently Pavlina plays for «Laguna-UOR» (Penza). In Volgograd, two strong players appeared - Elena Churjumova (retired) and Tatjana Ivanitckaya (stands for «Aurora»). Other players to highlight are Tatyana Bikeykina ("Snezhana", «Chertanovo»), Olessya Didenko ( «Chertanovo», "Snezhana" "Viktoria"), Elena Cherepushkina ("Snezhana"), players «Aurora» (Sankt-Peterburg) - Svetlana Kerzhkovskaya (best goalkeeper), Galina Fedchenko, Svetlana Khvatova.
FIFA's referees were Elena Sukhanova, Anna Gnevysheva (both - Moscow Region), Anastassya Pustovoytova (Moscow).

4. Coaches
With the women's futsal teams coaches worked, mostly unknown to the general public, were - Yuri Kukanov (Volgograd), Pavel Romanov (Nizhny Novgorod Region), Stanislav Kharitonov (Sankt-Peterburg), and others. From the women's football in a futsal came Sergey Cherepushkin (Moscow Region), and Eduard Batkin (Sankt-Peterburg). Directed by women's teams and coaches, who worked previously in the men's teams - Nikolay Sevostjanov and Boris Burlakov.
Currently head coach of the women's national team of Russia is Eugeny Kuzmin, a former player of Russian mini-club.

5. National team of Russia
The first women futsal team of Russia met in the summer of 1994. However, their first official meeting of Russians was held only in autumn 1998 at a tournament in Spain (Spain, Portugal, Ukraine). During the period (1998-2004) eleven friendly matches were played, mostly - in the tournament in the Pyrenees. In most games the team was led by Yuri Kukanov. The number of games of the female Russian team has increased to forty games.
Separately, focus on games in April 2004 in Rio Major (Portugal) c Spain (1:16) and Portugal (1:17). Women's futsal in Russia experienced a very difficult time. Under the guise of the national team went to a very vague part, without the leading players at the moment, in fact, without a coach. All this has provided such a horrible outcome that is left in the registry.

6. Perspectives
With the entry of women's futsal in the structure of AMFR they have significantly tightened requirements for clubs. The number of league teams has decreased. However, hosts many regional competitions. AMFR is doing everything possible for the women's teams from the regions to become financially stronger, and eventually replenish the big leagues. Possible candidates are Tyumen, Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh.
A huge help for women's indoor soccer would be the presence of official international competitions - European and World Championships, European Cups.












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