Courtesy: UEFA

Revamped Dinamo reunited with holders

Friday, 27 January 2006

Last April Action 21 Charleroi and MFK Dinamo Moskva played out a UEFA Futsal Cup final that will live long in the memory, the Belgian champions winning 10-9 on aggregate after extra time in Moscow. Now those sides will meet again in second qualifying round Group B in Belgrade, where they will also meet hosts KMF Marbo Beograd and FC Shakhtar Donetsk for two semi-final places.

Dinamo changes
Since last year's final, Dinamo coach Yuri Rudnev left for Russian rivals Norilsky Nickel, and took last season's Futsal Cup leading scorer Sergei Ivanov with him, but they signed two of Charleroi's key men, Kelson and defender Henrique, and had the best record in the first qualifying round. However, Henrique suffered a serious knee injury in Dinamo's 4-3 Russian Cup semi-final win against Arbat Moskva in December, and has since undergone surgery. Dinamo, who lost the final of that competition to Spartak Shelkovo, have since signed Brazilian international Tato, but made an even more dramatic change on 12 January, as head coach Aleksandr Shibaev moved to another role in the club, to be replaced by 58-year-old Viktor Papaev.

Mixed feelings
Papaev said: "It is always interesting to start a new job. Besides, I came to an ambitious club with serious tasks." He takes over a team eleven points clear at the top in Russia, but although he has won his four games in charge, he has not been satisfied with the performances, notably the 4-3 and 3-1 victories against lowly FC Tyumen. "We were lucky not to lose points, we have some problems here that need urgent solving," the coach said. "We have to work on our mental approach."

Charleroi form
Their biggest rivals, Charleroi, are on course for a sixth straight Belgian title, a point clear of fellow European contenders Cristal Noir MB Morlanwelz. They are unbeaten this season, including a 7-1 Super Cup victory at Morlanwelz, and have recently announced ambitious plans for youth training to produce homegrown players to match their Brazilian stars, such as leading scorer Alex. They start on Sunday against Shakhtar, following Beograd's game with Dinamo. The Belgian and Russian champions are face to face the next day, with the holders finishing against the group hosts on Wednesday.

Perfect record
Beograd, who have a perfect league reason this season, have four players named in the Serbia and Montenegro squad for their matches with Pamplona and Spain later this month: goalkeepers Predrag Brzakovic and Igor Šoša, Bojan Pavicevic and Predrag Rajic. Pavicevic, the club captain, is only looking to the UEFA Futsal Cup matches for now, with big crowds expected in the Palata Pionir.

'Now or never'
"We have a great wish," he said. "And, sometimes, I am just afraid about that, because motivation and psychology maybe can be great rivals. These will be the most important days of my footballing life. We will play in our city, in front of 6,000 spectators. Now or never -I never like thinking that way, but maybe now that's the truth."

Attack
As for their rivals, he added: "Dinamo Moskva are probably the best team in the group. I shall be honest - we will attack them from the first minute! That is our chance, to surprise them, to lead. Charleroi and Shakhtar have also strong teams."

Winning mood
Shakhtar fell at this stage in both their previous UEFA Futsal Cup bids in 2002/03 and 2004/05. Last season they began their second qualifying round with a 6-2 loss to Dinamo, but having won all their 16 Ukrainian league matches this season, Shakhtar are in winning mood.

'Not afraid'
Coach Oleg Solodovnyk said: "All our players are fit including [goalkeeper Vladyslav] Kornyeyev and [Georgiy] Melnikov, who were injured in our recent league fixture against Yenakievets Yenakievo. Of course I realise that we have serious and ambitious rivals, but Shakhtar are not afraid of anyone." To prepare for their late kick-offs in Belgrade, Solodvnyk has been overseeing 10pm training sessions. Ramis Mansurov, Georgiy Melnikov, Oleg Miroshnyk and Igor Moskvychov are his first-choice outfield quartet, with Fedor Pylypiv, Oleksandr Minayev, Sergiy Zadorozhniy and Ukraine's highly-rated Serhiy Sytin the next four.



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