Courtesy: UEFA.com

Captain's tears for Charleroi comeback

Thursday, 14 December 2006

by Berend Scholten

from Diest

Former European champions Action 21 Charleroi were briefly pronounced dead in the summer - but they can now prepare for April's UEFA Futsal Cup final four event after a dramatic qualification that reduced captain Lúcio Rosa to tears.

Dramatic end
With three minutes left in their decisive fixture against Clearex Chorzów, the only club to have played in three of the five European finals went 3-1 down, needing a draw to reach the new four-team showpiece. But then Zico and Andre found the target and Charleroi were through. However, that was just the latest comeback in a season that nearly did not begin as in July chairman Paul Locicero announced the club would close because of the loss of sponsorship and reduced municipal support.

Captain's defiance
A week later, budget cuts and extra funds from remaining sponsors ensured the seven-times Belgian champions would continue, but with the departure of last season's top scorer Alex and Belgian Player of the Year Robinho among others, they have not been the same force in 2005/06. As Lúcio Rosa admitted, some had not expected them to make the European progress that was once a given. "It's maybe a surprise for people who didn't believe in us," he said "Despite the problems of the club in July, Action 21 are not dead and the team still plays to win!"

'I cried a lot'
The captain, a veteran of all six European campaigns, had an especially fraught night of Main round action in Chorzow, as he was forced off the course through injury in a match his team twice trailed by two goals. It was a traumatic experience. "I cried a lot," he said. "I tried to come back into the match three times after my injury. But I couldn't play any more. And I cried still more after the team qualified. After the qualification, we were so happy. It's a bit like winning the cup itself."

Final four
Charleroi are joined by three other big names in European futsal in the one-venue finals next spring. MFK Dinamo Moskva are the most familiar; Charleroi beat them 10-9 on aggregate after extra time in an emotional final in 2004/05 to wipe out the memory of losing the first two deciders to Playas de Castellón FS. Another Spanish side, Boomerang Interviú, had their grip on the cup ended by Charleroi earlier in their own title-winning season thanks to another last-gasp equaliser, and El Pozo Murcia FS's presence means that Charleroi have a two in three chance of meeting a team from the Division de Honor.

'Anything can happen'
Lúcio Rosa, though, is not worried by the potential opposition, despite Boomerang coach Jesús Candelas dismissing Charleroi as "a piece of cake" for whoever draws them. The Brazilian said: "Anything can happen now in both matches. But one thing is sure: we go there to win. I don't think there are clear favourites. It's only one match for the semi-final and one match for the final. The most important for us was to qualify. The team we will play doesn't matter."



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