Courtesy FIFA.com

Fernando Ferretti: 2004 can be Brazil’s year

The year 2003 was bittersweet for the Brazilian national futsal squad. While the Auriverdes secured passage to the FIFA Futsal World Championship and swept to victory in the year's final friendly tournament in Thailand, they were also stripped of their South American crown by arch rivals Argentina. FIFA.com spoke to Brazilian coach Fernando Ferretti about the year just ended and the challenges facing his side ahead of the game's showpiece event in Chinese Taipei.
"Though we didn't win the Copa América, I think it was a positive year for us. We qualified for Chinese Taipei 2004, which was our number one priority," says a man who has been coaching futsal for 30 years now. However, Ferretti concedes that last season was no bed of roses for the Brazilians either: "Sadly, this last year was marked by an exodus of players to the European leagues, mainly to Spain," says the coach with a look of resignation.

“More evenly-matched”

Futsal connoisseurs all agree that a vital change has occurred in the South American game since last autumn's championship: the gap between Brazil and the rest of the teams on the continent has narrowed considerably. "It's definitely more evenly-matched. Argentina deserved to be champions and are looking very strong. They'll be one of the top teams in Chinese Taipei," ventures Ferretti.

"But it wasn't just the sides that qualified that gave a good account of themselves. Even some of the teams that didn't make it through showed a major improvement. No-one wins games on the back of their reputation any more in South America," he continues.

Brazil’s runners-up spot in Paraguay came as a shock to many people back home who are simply not used to making do with second-best. However, Ferretti says he can explain why they let go of their grip on the South American trophy: "When the standard is so similar, and you don't have time to prepare properly, it's perfectly possible for the title to end up in another side's hands. But we should put that behind us, what's important is that we qualified for the World Championship."

Futsal, cradle of talent

As is often the case all over Planet Football, children in Brazil first start kicking a ball about on a futsal pitch. So it should be no surprise when we see the 11-a-side game's brightest stars pulling off jaw-dropping twists and turns in the tightest of spots, and all at breakneck speed. A prime example was Ronaldo's semi-final goal against Turkey at the 2002 FIFA World Cup™. "The toe-poke? I learned that playing futsal," said the Brazilian number 9 of that crucial winner.

"People in Brazil love football, and that in itself makes a difference. But futsal is also a firm favourite with the youngsters. Later, when these kids go on to play on bigger pitches, they already know how to finish a move under pressure and in a flash," explains Ferretti.

"Luckily, the futsal league in our country is highly competitive. The stadiums are always full and there's constant growth in the game. Proof of that is the number of players who have emigrated to the European leagues lately," he says.

Destination Asia

Winners of the first three editions of the FIFA World Futsal Championship, the Brazilians quickly established themselves as the kings of the indoor game. However, just like every empire throughout history, the Auriverdes have fallen into something of a decline. At Guatemala 2000, the world crown went to the Spaniards, who are now defending champions. "Spain made the most of our carelessness at the back, which is without a doubt our Achilles' heel," says Ferretti, who thinks the Iberians "are capable of holding on to the title, but they'll have a fight on their hands what with Argentina and Italy. And Brazil, of course!"

Brazil will have the chance to get their revenge this December in Chinese Taipei. But a couple of obstacles need to be negotiated before then: the pressure of being favourites and the shortage of time to prepare for the competition. "I fear for our performance if we don't manage to get together before long. You have to bear in mind that during 2004, we'll only be meeting up with the players every two months and for scarcely a week each time," grumbles the coach.

"On the other hand, I'm not bothered about the pressure of being favourites. We're Brazil and we accept that challenge in every competition we play, regardless of the discipline or category. We take it in our stride. If we can put together a satisfactory preparation period, we'll be among the top teams," he predicts.