Courtesy: UEFA.com

Cirilo puts pressure on Ivanov

Thursday, 28 April 2005

Cirilo could yet pip MFK Dinamo Moskva team-mates Sergei Ivanov and Joan to the honour of emerging as the 2004/05 UEFA Futsal Cup leading scorer after his goal in the first leg of the final against Action 21 Charleroi took him to within two of the lead.

Two-goal gap
Ivanov, who was in the Dinamo squad in Belgium but did not enter the pitch, remains two clear with ten goals, but both Joan and Cirilo have the chance to overtake him when all three face Charleroi in the home leg on Saturday, looking to overturn a 4-3 deficit.

Pelé strike
Another Dinamo player, Pelé, moved up to joint sixth in the table with his strike in the first leg, while Charleroi's top scorer, Lúcio Rosa, did not add to his seven-goal tally, though team-mates Alex and Eder both claimed their sixth of the campaign.

Goals - Player (Club)
12 - Sergei Ivanov (MFK Dinamo Moskva)
10 - Joan (MFK Dinamo Moskva)
10 - Andreu (Boomerang Interviú FS)
10 - Cirilo (MFK Dinamo Moskva)
09 - Paulo Roberto (El Pozo Murcia FS)
08 - Kike (El Pozo Murcia FS)
08 - Israel (Sporting Clube de Portugal)
08 - Ani Mullaj (SK Tirana)
08 - Lenisio (El Pozo Murcia FS)
08 - Pelé (MFK Dinamo Moskva)
07 - Deo (Sporting Clube de Portugal)
07 - Lúcio Rosa (Action 21 Charleroi)



Courtesy: UEFA.com

Bowing out at the top

Thursday, 28 April 2005

By Greg Demetriou & Paul Saffer

There can be few better ways to end a distinguished refereeing career than by taking charge of a big European final, and on Saturday Pedro Ángel Galán Nieto will do just that.

Long career
The 45-year-old Spaniard has been a top Futsal official for a quarter of a century, and has handled many of the sport's showpieces, including the 2003 UEFA Futsal Championship final in Italy. However, the decider of the club equivalent, the UEFA Futsal Cup, remained out of his reach as Spanish sides reached and won the first three finals.

Exciting occasion
This year, though, Action 21 Charleroi and MFK Dinamo Moskva both eliminated representatives from Spain in the second qualifying round, and Galán Nieto was duly appointed, along with Croatia's Ivan Novak, to handle the second leg in the Russian capital, with the score tantalisingly poised at 4-3 to visitors Charleroi.

Dream ending
Galán Nieto is understandably proud. "To referee the second leg of the UEFA Futsal Cup final is a dream that I could not have expected a few weeks ago," he told uefa.com. "I think this is the game that every referee hopes for as the last game of his career and I am very proud. Unfortunately, only two referees can be on the pitch, but it is a honour for me to be there on behalf of all referees in Europe."

Spanish setback
There are mixed feelings, none the less, as the trophy finally leaves Spain for the first time. "As part of the Spanish Futsal family, it's sad," Galán Nieto said. "But I think it's very good for European Futsal that no Spanish teams reached the final this time. Even for Spanish teams it is good because that means that they need to work harder next year."

‘Time to stop’
One think he is sure of, though, is that it is the moment for him to move on. He said: "If I am honest, after more that 2,850 domestic and 310 international games, I really think it is time to make way for the new generation of referees. It's the circle of life. Europe has a very good crop of young referees so one must know when it's time to stop. I think this game is my time."

New opportunities
Galán Nieto is not leaving Futsal completely, however. "I am already working as a FIFA Futsal instructor," he said. "In the first week of May I go to Qatar for a seminar with the referees of the Qatar Football Association. Then next November, UEFA organises the second seminar for Futsal referees and hopefully I will be helping the refereeing department in the development of Futsal referees in Europe. I am also hoping to be appointed President of the Spanish Futsal referees body in the near future."

Global Futsal family
Still, he cannot help but look back on a career which to call 'full' would be an understatement. He said: "You can have good memories of a particular game, but the most important memories are of the people I have met during these last 25 years. Money cannot buy that. I am very proud to say that I have a friend in every continent. My wish for coming years in whatever I do in the Futsal family is to increase my number of friends and to help develop Futsal all around the world."



Courtesy: UEFA.com

Moscow summit too close to call

Friday, 29 April 2005

By Paul Saffer in Moscow

Come Saturday evening, a non-Spanish name will be on the UEFA Futsal Cup for the first time as MFK Dinamo Moskva welcome Action 21 Charleroi for the second leg of what is proving a thrilling final.

Too close to call
Charleroi led 4-1 at home halfway through last Saturday's first leg, but the Russian visitors to Belgium struck twice after the break to leave the tie perfectly poised. Who will follow Playas de Castellón FS and Boomerang Interviú FS as European club kings is still far from clear, though the away goals rule will give Dinamo heart.

Maevski absent
Indeed, Dinamo had more reason to celebrate last weekend with the news that results elsewhere had made them domestic champions once again. They moved to within a goal of Charleroi seven minutes from time through Konstantin Maevski, but a yellow card soon after left him suspended for the return, the major absentee from either side.

Rakhimov returns
Home captain Pavel Stepanov produced some fine saves in the Dinamo goal in Charleroi, especially after his team came back to 4-3 and the Belgian champions chased hard to restore a more comfortable advantage. He admitted Maevski will be missed, but pointed to the return of Alexandre Rakhimov from a ban.

Ivanov hope
"We must play the team we have available, including Rakhimov, and hope it will be our moment," he told uefa.com. Competition leading scorer Sergei Ivanov did not enter the pitch last week as coach Yuri Rudnev feared the PVC terraflex surface at the Spiroudôme could prompt the recurrence of a recent injury, but the Russian international is tipped to play a significant part at the wooden-floored Druzhba Sports Hall, built for the 1980 Olympics.

Third time lucky?
For Charleroi, who will have Kelson and Eder available despite injury doubts, this is the moment of truth, having lost in this tournament's inaugural two finals to Castellón. In the second two years ago - the first played over two legs - they drew 1-1 at home before falling 6-4 in Spain. Goalkeeper Luca Cragnaz, one of two Belgian players in an otherwise all-Brazilian squad, admits his side could have been in a more comfortable position.

'Need to be vigilant'
Cragnaz, who currently understudies Eder Fehrmann, told www.futsalecho.be: "Four-three remains a good result, whatever anyone says. Of course it does not have the same feel as 4-1, and we would have preferred a three-goal advantage rather than one. However, maybe we would have been careless in Moscow with a big lead. Although we are ahead, it is small and we need to be vigilant."

Team role
He does not mind sitting on the sidelines again. "The team's interests are greater than mine," he said. "My role is to benefit the team. If we finally win the UEFA Futsal Cup, it will be with the help of everyone. We are in reach of one of the goals the club set five years ago."

Galán Nieto farewell
This match also marks the end of the distinguished career of Spanish referee Pedro Ángel Galán Nieto, who will share duties with Croatia's Ivan Novak. Considering how close both Charleroi and Dinamo's deciding second qualifying round games were against Boomerang and El Pozo Murcia FS, the result could well be in doubt right up to the final blow of Galán Nieto's whistle.