Courtesy: FIFA.com

Waiting for a chance to shine

(FIFA.com) 22 Feb 2006

When the conversation turns to Spanish futsal, the names that immediately spring to mind are those of Javier Rodríguez, Luis Amado, Andreu, Marcelo and Co, the players who lifted two world titles under the tutelage of Javier Lozano. The progress made by men's futsal in Spain has proved an inspirational example, not only for other countries, but also for the country's female players, whose performances week in week out have helped their sport grow in popularity and prestige.
Women's futsal began to build momentum in Spain in the early 1990s when a group of football lovers set out to prove that women could perform just as skilfully as men within the tight confines of an indoor pitch. La Liga de División de Honor (The Division of Honour League) was officially founded in 1994 when the Spanish Football Federation created the Women's National Futsal Committee (CNFSF).

Heated competition
There are currently 16 women's teams competing on a weekly basis in the top flight, three of which will be relegated back to the regional competitions at the end of the season. The champions of each one of these regional tournaments play off to fill one of the three vacant spots in the División de Honor. Each of Spain's autonomous regions, with the exception of Asturias, Extremadura, Ceuta, Melilla and the Balearic Islands, has their own regional League.

When the league season reaches its halfway point, the top eight teams in the table go into the draw for the Copa de España, which is played on a knockout basis with the quarter-final draw being made at random.

Femesala Elche have quickly established a position of pre-eminence in the women's game, with five league crown's gleaming proudly in their trophy cabinet. UCAM Murcia are next in line with two championships and can lay also claim to being the undisputed cup kings, having lifted the Copa de España on no less than three occasions.

One player who deserves special mention is Eva Manguán, who is still going strong after 12 years in the game. A natural goalscorer, Manguán has topped the scorer's charts on no less than five occasions and looks set to do so again this year after netting an astonishing 33 times in the first half of the season. Two other players who have also found the back of the net with impressive regularity over the years are Beatriz Marín and Sofia.

Competing at the highest level
Perhaps the biggest problem facing the girls is the lack of international competition, which in turn prevents the country's top players from competing at the highest level. National team coach Arsenio Pascual believes his side are missing out. "In Europe, only a few countries such as Spain, Portugal and Russia play this sport, and there aren't any international tournaments to take part in any more. We try to fill the void by organising friendly games like the ones we played last year against Brazil. We played three games and won two, and I was pleasantly surprised to see just how many people came to watch," remarked Pascual, who gives up his weekends to monitor his charges' performances in the national league.

Spain travelled to Brazil last December to play a series of three friendly matches against the samba stars. The home side came away with a 3-2 victory in the first game in Maringá, but the brave Spaniards battled back to win the remaining two fixtures, 3-1 in Londrina and 6-0 in Sao Paulo.

"I've coached several men's teams at all levels of the game and, although I generally prefer not to make comparisons, I have to say that the quality and standard of play are very similar. As far as commitment, enjoyment and enthusiasm are concerned, I think the women have the upper hand," admits Pascual. The future looks bright with more than 4,000 girls of all ages enjoying futsal in the Madrid region alone. With so many youngsters involved in the sport, the supply of fresh talent seems set to increase.

Not only does the sport attract a great deal of home-grown stars, it also offers a window of opportunity for gifted indoor players from other countries to hone their considerable skills. Such is the case of Brazilians Fabiana and Raquel, who took the difficult decision to leave their native shores and defend the colours of Madrid's Encofra Navalcarnero. "The sport has a much brighter future here. It's much better organised and is more competitive than the Brazilian league," explain the two girls, whose side currently occupy top spot in the División de Honor.

With the sport's organisational framework going from strength to strength, and its popularity amongst both the general public and the media continuing to grow, the women's futsal authorities are working hard to foster links with other national sides. The aim is to lay the foundations for international tournaments that will enable players to compete at the highest level and continue the progress made by the national side.

LIST OF DIVISIÓN DE HONOR LEAGUE WINNERS
1994-1995 - Sal Lence de Coruña
1995-1996 - Trocadero de Toledo
1996-1997 - Femesala Elche
1997-1998 - Femesala Elche
1998-1999 - Ourense
1999-2000 - Femesala Elche
2000-2001 - Tecnocasa Móstoles
2001-2002 - UCAM Murcia
2002-2003 - UCAM Murcia
2003-2004 - Femesala Elche
2004-2005 - Femesala Elche

LIST OF COPA DE ESPAÑA WINNERS
1995 - Trocadero de Toledo
1996 - Sal Lence de Coruña
1997 - Femesala de Elche
1998 - Ourense
1999 - Sanpedrotarrak de San Sebastián
2000 - Móstoles
2001 - Taberna Andaluza de Granada
2002 - UCAM de Murcia
2003 - UCAM de Murcia
2004 - Femesala de Elche
2005 - UCAM de Murcia
2006 - Preconte Telde



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