Courtesy: Futsal Premier League


FUTSAL MANIA Comes to London

Experience FIFA’s official indoor soccer 5s… the way the rest of the world plays

Hosted by The Futsal Premier League, The FA, and England’s qualifying team FC White Bear, this Saturday will see the preliminary qualification round for the UEFA Futsal Championship taking place at Crystal Palace Sports Centre. The competition will see the Champions from England, France, Armenia and Albania battle it out for a place in the Championship. Two teams will qualify for the group stages.

Pioneered by Uruguay and Brazil, Futsal is a fever-pitch indoor soccer, played by millions throughout the world and now expanding quickly here in the UK. With no fuzzy balls and walls, futsal is a fast-paced and skilful game of football and encourages the development of technically gifted players. The world’s leading footballers such as Ronaldo, Figo and Ronaldinho all played the game as youngsters, with Brazil being the Mecca for futsal since 1930.

UEFA officials are flying in for the event which will take place over Saturday 10th September – Tuesday 13th September. UEFA tournament director, Laurent Morel comments, "I really look forward to coming back to England for a European Futsal competition. Futsal is a young sport in the UK, and there is a huge competition with other versions of small-sided football, but I am delighted to see how things are moving so positively.”

League organisers, The Futsal Premier League, are one of the early adopters in the UK, now offering leagues and coaching in various parts of the UK.
“This is a real boost for Futsal in the UK. There is already significant growth emerging here with regional leagues as well as youth futsal in schools and clubs. It’s a superb, fast paced and competitive game, with focus on skill, passing and movement. We encourage anyone who loves good football to come down and show their support for the game and the England champions FC White Bear.”
Gary Macbeth, Event Director. CEO of the Futsal Premier League.

The FA has been working steadily over the past few years to promote futsal as part of its small-sided football strategy. Dermot Collins, FA National manager for small-sided football comments, “The growth in futsal over the last few years has been significant. With the national team now firmly established, the regional league base expanding, and kids taking to the sport in numbers, we are confident that futsal is on now here to stay.”

As an opportunity for youngsters to try futsal and get more involved, boys and girls between the ages of 11 – 15 are invited to attend a free training session on Saturday at 1pm, with qualified coaching staff on hand to take the kids through their paces. Gary says, “We’ve found that once children try the game they love it. It’s a great way for them to try some tricks and learn the game”.

While the session is free, you must register to attend as places are limited. To register simply email info@thefpl.com.

Game Schedule: Crystal Palace Sports Centre

Saturday 10th September

- FC White Bear vs. Dinamo Tirana --> 4pm
- Roubaix Futsal vs. Tal Grig Yerevan --> 6pm

Sunday 11th September

- Roubaix Futsal vs. FC White Bear --> 2pm
- Tal Grig Yerevan vs. Dinamo Tirana --> 4pm

Tuesday 13th September

- Dinamo Tirana vs Roubaix Futsal --> 6pm
- FC White Bear vs. Tal Grig Yerevan --> 8pm

Ticket Prices: £4 Adults - £2 Children under 12
(50% discount on Day 2 and 3 on presentation of existing ticket)

For further information and to request a press pass please contact:
Amy Lalla: 07930 66 33 07 or email info@thefpl.com

About Futsal
Futsal is the official international FIFA Indoor 5-a-side Soccer format. Over 170 of the 204 FIFA Federations are now playing the sport. The game is played by approximately 25 million worldwide with professional leagues operating in Italy, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Russia and Japan. The game has been hailed by soccer greats such as Pele, Zico and Ronaldo as a key component in soccer development.

For more information about the Futsal Premier League in the UK please contact info@thefpl.com or visit www.thefpl.com.

Other futsal resources: www.uefa.com, www.thefa.com. www.fifa.com




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