Courtesy: UEFA.com

Shakhtar hope to shake off worries

Monday, 9 October 2006

by Igor Linnyk

from Kiev

FC Shakhtar Donetsk have never failed to make progress in their three previous UEFA Futsal Cup entries and last season reached the semi-finals for the first time, losing only to eventual winners Interviú Boomerang. However, as they prepare to begin their 2006/07 campaign in the Main round not everything has gone their way this term.

Key men missing
First, one of the key players of recent years Ramis Mansurov was sacked from the club for disciplinary reasons. And then prolific goalscorer Igor Moskvychov suffered a broken leg that means a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Also currently ruled out through injury is Ukrainian international Fedir Pylypiv, while new signings Dmitriy Klochko and Oleksandr Yurkov are still settling in and Oleksandr Kondratyuk is yet to find his form this season. Hardly ideal timing for Oleg Solodovnyk ahead of their European fixtures.

Form improving
Shakhtar's Group 5 campaign in Hungary begins on Tuesday against Moldovan preliminary round winners Toligma Chisinau, before meetings with FC Raba of Latvia a day later and home team Futsal Club Gödöllö on Friday, with two Elite round places on offer. In the Ukrainian League form has been improving -Shakhtar, who dropped only five points in 32 games last season, were held 5-5 in their opener at Uragan Ivano-Frankovsk but have since won four games, although they trail Energy Lvov.

Depleted resources
However with three games in four days, Solodovnyk is worried about the resources he has at hand. "We have just one outfield four at the moment," he said. "[Yevgen] Yunakov, [Serhiy] Sytin, [Serhiy] Zadorozhniy and Kondratyuk who is not at his best. There is no second four as Moskvychov is out with a fracture and Mansurov has been dismissed. So we have to achieve the results with the men we have. Whichever side we have and wherever we go we have only one task - to get three points from any game. We want to make it to the Elite round."




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Kairat aiming high again

Monday, 9 October 2006

by Yevgeniy Akmanov

from Almaty

Kairat Almaty are at full strength and on fine form as the 2005/06 UEFA Futsal Cup semi-finalist begin their bid to at least match that run.

Memorable run
It was a heady time for Kairat early this year; they were not expected to pip second qualifying round group hosts SL Benfica to the last four having already met their target for the season by progressing past the first stage. But having come from 3-1 down to draw with the Portuguese side they then finished two points ahead of the Lisbon club to earn a two-legged tie with MFK Dinamo Moskva. Kairat lost that encounter, but gained widespread television and press coverage for what is easily Kazakhstan's best performance in any UEFA competition.

Sarajevo visit
This year their campaign begins in Group 1 on Tuesday against Slov-Matic Fofo Bratislava, with a game versus Italy’s Arzignano Grifo C/5 the next day before a Friday meeting with hosts KMF Partizan Sarajevo, after which Kairat hope to be celebrating progress to the Elite round as they stop off in Istanbul on their way back to Almaty. Kairat have their first-choice squad to pick from after striker Maksim Batov recovered from a minor injury suffered in a recent league double-header against FC Aktybrentgen. Those games were won 5-2 and 7-1 by Kairat, who only four matches into the league season already hold a six-point lead and have a perfect record as they aim for a fourth straight title.



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