Courtesy: UEFA


ArenA date for Marlène

Tuesday, 21 September 2004

Dutch champions FC Marlène are to stage Group 4 of the UEFA Futsal Cup first qualifying round at the world-famous Amsterdam ArenA in the first week of October.

Stadium transformed

The stadium, usually home to AFC Ajax and venue for the 1998 UEFA Champions League final and UEFA EURO 2000™ fixtures, will be transformed into the Amsterdam ArenA Amphi, with giant screens used to create an intimate atmosphere and shrink the pitch to Futsal side.

Amsterdam contenders

Also competing in Amsterdam on 2, 3 and 5 October, are Marlène's fellow tournament debutants El Pozo Murcia FS of Spain, Cypriot side AGBU Ararat Nicosia FC and MNK Karaka Mostar from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Only the group winners will progress to the second qualifying round in March, with the final-day fixture between the hosts and top seeds Murcia tipped as the key encounter.

Promising form

Marlène, usually based in Heerhugowaard, also hold the Dutch Super Cup and on 14 September warmed up for their European bid with a 4-3 win against the Netherlands national team in their regular Waardergolf Accomodation home - twice coming from two goals behind before Calvin Blankendaal's last-gasp effort secured victory against one of the eight contenders for next February's UEFA European Futsal Championship in Ostrava.