Courtesy: UEFA.com


Benfica face Budapest test

Friday, 7 October 2005

by Márton Dinnyés & Paul Saffer

Hungarian champions Colorspectrum Aramis Budapest face a baptism of fire in the UEFA Futsal Cup this week with SL Benfica among their opponents in first qualifying round Group 3, along with AGBU Ararat Nicosia FC and Tal Grig Yerevan.

Troubled summer
Budapest completed the Hungarian double last season, but go into the mini-tournament, which starts on Sunday, after a troubled summer. Hungary goalkeeper Zoltán Balázs, who starred at February's UEFA European Futsal Championship, has left the club after falling out with the management. His international team-mates, Zoltán Szabó and Tamás Frank, have also been struggling with injury but should play.

'We have problems'
Coach Ferenc Soós said: "We have problems, but the players are taking their task very seriously. We have trained more than we ever have done. They are passionate and concentrate only on their preparation."

'Only one aim'
Ferenc Ragadics, head of the club's Futsal department, added: "I hope all the spectators will enjoy these games. We have only one aim - that the qualification issue will be decided on the last day when we play Benfica."

Experienced Ararat
That match closes proceedings at Ferencváros's handball court, for which entry is free, on Wednesday. Before then, on Sunday, Benfica set the ball rolling against Cypriot champions Ararat - who have played in every previous Futsal Cup but never progressed beyond this stage - and Budapest then play Yerevan. On Monday, Yerevan take on Benfica and Budapest encounter Ararat.

In form
Benfica, Futsal Cup finalists in 2003/04, are now coached by Adil Amarante, with the man who led them to their encounter with Boomerang Interviú FS, Alípio Matos, having become club manager. They missed out on Europe last term after losing the Portuguese title to Sporting Club de Portugal, yet defeated their rivals to reclaim the championship in 2004/05 and have won both Premier League matches so far this season.

Yerevan scrape through
Yerevan, by contrast, are tournament debutants, having won the preliminary round group by the skin of their teeth - had they lost their closing game against hosts London White Bear by more than 2-1, they would have been out in third place.

Benfica tipped
Coach Ruben Nazaretyan told uefa.com after that tie: "Last year our champions Politekhnik Yerevan played Sporting and I watched the game in Portugal. But I know nothing about Benfica, although I will try and find out and work out how we can train to play against them - they will be the best team."



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