Courtesy: UEFA.com

Boomerang bound for Belgrade

Thursday, 8 July 2004

Holders Boomerang Interviú FS will open their defence in Belgrade against KMF Marbo Beograd, Slovakia's 1. SC INCAR Nitra and FS Cap del Carrer of Andorra after the draw for the 2004/05 UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary and first qualifying rounds were made.

Holders begin defence

Spanish champions Boomerang, who claimed the European final for the first time last May by beating SL Benfica 7-5 on aggregate, will hope to be one of the eight group winners who progress. Sporting Clube de Portugal, who kept Benfica out of this year's tournament by beating them to the domestic title, take on Moldova's FC Camelot Chisinau, Czech group hosts FK Era Pack Chrudim and the eventual Armenian champions in Group 3. All the qualifying rounds will be played between 4 and 10 October.

Charleroi bid

Belgium's Action 21 Charleroi, who were beaten in the first two Futsal Cup finals by Spain's Playas de Castellón FS, meet FK Inkaras Kaunas, Ilves FS and FC Bodu Bucuresti in the Romanian capital. Castellón themselves are absent for the first time, having failed to reach the final of their domestic championship play-offs. El Pozo Murcia Turistica FS, who overcame Castellón before losing to Boomerang in that competition, enter for the first time as their national champions are holders of this trophy.

Preliminary round

The final two places in the first qualifying round will be decided in the preliminary round which will be played between 8 and 14 September. The top two teams in the group involving English hosts Sheffield Hallam FC, Bulgaria's MAG Varna and Albanian title-holders SK Tirana will progress, the winners entering Group 8 and the runners-up Group 6.


2004/05 UEFA Futsal Cup draw

Preliminary round (played 8-14 September, two to qualify)

Sheffield Hallam FC (ENG)
SK Tirana (Albania)
MAG Varna (BUL)


First qualifying round Group 1

Boomerang Interviú FS (ESP, holders)
KMF Marbo Beograd (SCG)
1. SC INCAR Nitra (SVK)
FS Cap del Carrer (AND)


First qualifying round Group 2

MNK Split (CRO)
FC Dorozhnik Minsk (BLR)
KMF Skopje Tandem Go (MKD)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ)


First qualifying round Group 3

Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
FC Camelot Chisinau (MOL)
FK Era Pack Chrudim (CZE)
Armenian champions (ARM)*


First qualifying round Group 4

El Pozo Murcia FS (ESP)
FC Marlène (NED)
MNK Karaka Mostar (BHZ)
Ararat Nicosia (CYP)


First qualifying round Group 5

Action 21 Charleroi (BEL)
FK Inkaras Kaunas (LIT)
Ilves FS (FIN)
FC Bodu Bucuresti (ROM)


First qualifying round Group 6

MFC Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
KS Baustal (POL)
FC Iberia 2003 (GEO)
Runners-up preliminary round


First qualifying round Group 7

Arzignano Grifo C/5 (ITA)
MFK Turan Air Baku (AZE)
KMN Svea Lesna Litija (SLO)
FK Bugroff (LAT)


First qualifying round Group 8

FC Shaktar Donetsk (UKR)
Rubeola FC Csömör (HUN)
Israeli champions (ISL)*
Winners preliminary round


Teams in bold will host the mini-tournaments
*Armenian and Israeli participants still to be confirmed