Courtesy: UEFA.com

Oliveira owes a debt to Futsal

Thursday, 6 October 2005

by Greg Demetriou

With the first qualifying round of the 2005/06 UEFA Futsal Cup upon us, the increasingly popular small-sided sport is due to take yet another stride forward.

Invaluable upbringing
Anyone wanting proof of Futsal's worth, need only glance at the UEFA Champions League. Real Betis Balompié's Ricardo Oliveira has revealed how Futsal helped him become the footballer he is, rising to a position where he is firmly at home in the rarefied air of Europe's premier club competition.

'It is fantastic'
"I still think of how important Futsal was for me," the in-form Oliveira told uefa.com. "Even since I turned professional, I have never stopped playing. I play with my friends. It is fantastic for controlling the ball and for making a quick move."

Practice makes perfect
The Brazilian international is using such well-honed techniques to good effect in the Champions League. He was the match-winner for Betis on Matchday 2, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory at RSC Anderlecht. In the 69th minute, the forward raced through and kept his cool to strike the ball low into the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Goalscoring machine
Few were surprised at his composure under pressure. The 25-year-old has been a revelation since leaving Valencia CF for Seville-based Betis before the 2004/05 season. In his first term at the Ruíz de Lopera stadium, he scored 22 goals in 37 league games, firing Betis to their first Champions League campaign.

'Really fun'
It is all a far cry from his childhood in Sao Paulo, where his fascination with Futsal began at a young age. "I played a lot and it was very important for me. I was ten or so when I started with a Futsal team. I had to make a long journey from my home to the club, but we had lunch there, we went on trips. It was great fun."

Futsal thriving
Enjoyment of the game is still key for Oliveira, with the player looking forward to even more success with club and country. Meanwhile, Futsal goes from strength to strength, with 33 countries now sending clubs to play in the UEFA Futsal Cup. It will surely not be long before youngsters following in Oliveira's footsteps will be able to achieve similar acclaim in Futsal's version of the Champions League.




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