Courtesy: UEFA.com


Moscow meeting to decide final

Friday, 5 May 2006

by Paul Saffer

MFK Dinamo Moskva have the toughest of tasks on Sunday when they must overturn a 6-3 deficit at home to Boomerang Interviú to avoid a second consecutive UEFA Futsal Cup final defeat. But Dinamo have the perfect man to inspire them - club president and Russian Futsal hero Konstantin Eremenko.

National pride
The scorer of the winning penalty against Spain that won Russia the 1999 UEFA European Futsal Championship, Eremenko has overseen Dinamo's rise to the continental top table and national dominance - they secured a fourth straight national title while in Madrid last week thanks to results back home, just as they did a year ago when facing Action 21 Charleroi. And despite the loss in Spain that left Dinamo with it all to do in their Druzhba hall, Eremenko believes they can do it, for club and national pride.

Russian development
"For a strong team like Dinamo there's only one goal - and that is to win every competition we play in, Eremenko said. "We have all it takes to make this trophy ours. There is no separation between the importance of the UEFA Futsal Cup for Dinamo or for the whole of Russian Futsal. Victory in this competition will give a boost to the whole development of Futsal in Russia. It will allow us to return where we were in the 1990s. Now due to generational change and other reasons we're not among the best in the world."

Amado out
The global No1 spot probably belongs to Spain, reigning world and European champions. And at club level Boomerang are Intercontinental Futsal Cup holders, and are aiming to regain the European crown they won in 2004. Even deprived of inspirational goalkeeper Luis Amado due to a left hand injury last Saturday they put themselves into a formidable position, turning a 4-3 half-time lead into the three-goal advantage they now hold.

Joan landmark
They travelled out on Friday, and one man in particular on the verge of something special is Joan - not to be confused with his Dinamo namesake - who is aiming for an unprecedented fifth European title. The 31-year-old won unofficial crowns with CML Talavera in 1998 and Playas de Castellón in 2001, and the next season helped the latter to the first UEFA Futsal Cup. Two years on he was victorious with Boomerang.

'Making history'
Joan said: "To win the Futsal Cup would be making history because I'm in the position of winning my fifth European cup and after so many years in Futsal and a career full of success, it's something that's not in everyone's reach. I never dreamt I would get this far but since I've played with the best, the objective is to win titles. I've been winning titles and without realising I already have four European cups."

Margin for error
The lead from the first leg gives Boomerang the same cushion they had prior to winning the cup at SL Benfica two years ago, and coach Jesús Candelas said: "The home result is good because it allows us to make mistakes in the return leg." Dinamo will be going for goals, and so Luis Amado's replacement Rafa will be tested to the full again. "We would have to play very badly to lose by three goals, but the mentality of the team is to regard the return leg as if it was still 0-0 and that we have to win to avoid surprises," the goalkeeper said.



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