Courtesy: UEFA.com

Positive signs for futsal's future

Saturday, 12 May 2007

by Paul Saffer

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari switched codes on Saturday to conduct the draw for the UEFA European Futsal Championship finals in Porto - a clear sign of the growing regard for football's small-sided little brother.

Scolari makes draw
In the finals from 16-25 November, hosts Portugal will be challenged by holders Spain, former winners Russia and Italy, two-time runners-up Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Serbia and newcomers Romania. UEFA futsal manager Laurent Morel is optimistic about the tournament, the first since European football's governing body moved the small-sided sport into the same department that runs the UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Championship.

Emerging nations
"It's really good," Morel told uefa.com. "Scolari did the draw, which is great for us. And we will be able to see the first EURO since the move to UEFA's professional division." Morel is also pleased to see Romania, a nation where futsal has only been played for a few years, joining the giants of the game. "It's good because some emerging countries are showing up and can be a part of the last eight, which is great," he added.

Expansion
There will be more chances for the likes of Romania when the competition expands to a dozen finalists from 2009. "If you look at the previous editions, there are five countries who have always qualified, which leaves only three more places," Morel said. "With 12, some countries who are now always close can qualify." That includes a quartet of nations who have missed out on these finals - one of whom will be hosts in 2009. "The four bidders are Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary," Morel said. "In the futsal rankings these are middle countries. Turkey are newcomers but they are working hard on their bid. It is good these countries are bidding to be under the futsal spotlight."


Courtesy: UEFA.com

Finals ball is a futsal first

Saturday, 12 May 2007

The first match ball created exclusively for a UEFA European Futsal Championship was unveiled at the final round draw for the 2007 edition in Porto on Saturday.

Design specifics
The +F50 Sala TB is the first futsal match ball to feature the thermal bonding technology introduced by adidas in 2004 with the seamless surface giving the ball a more predictable trajectory, making it easier to control. adidas described the ball as having "outstanding performance qualities". The design incorporates the red and green of the Portuguese national team but the ball is largely yellow, providing optimum visibility during matches. The ball also features the new championship logo and will be available for retail in Portugal from July onwards at a price of €61.




Courtesy: UEFA.com

Lozano leads confident coaches

Saturday, 12 May 2007

by Nuno Tavares

from Porto

The 2007 UEFA European Futsal Championship draw in Porto today has raised expectation among the eight finalists. Holders Spain have been paired with Russia, the team they beat in the 2005 final, while hosts Portugal are in Group A along with 2003 winners Italy. uefa.com caught up with some of the key figures who attended the proceedings at Casa Ferreirinha and all agreed on one point: there are no favourites.

Duarte cautious
Besides Portugal and Italy, Group A also features the Czech Republic and newcomers Romania. Portugal coach Orlando Duarte is taking nothing for granted regarding his team's chances of progressing beyond the group stage for the first time in this fifth staging of the top European competition, which will take place from 16-25 November. "I think both groups are level so we can’t talk of an easier or more difficult group. Romania are on the rise and are much stronger now when compared with a year ago. The Czech Republic also have a strong team so it's going to be very tough for every team in the group. We did beat them recently in two friendlies but they were missing two key players [brothers Michal Mareš and Roman Mareš]. We begin the competition against Italy but I think that could be a positive thing for us because we will be alert right from the start."

Azzurri focus
Concentration seems to be the key for success in the Italian camp, as Fabrizio Tonelli, president of the Italian Futsal Committee, told uefa.com. "In every official tournament it is very important to approach the competition with strong concentration as all the contenders have what it takes to win," he said. "When we arrive at the finals of any competition you have to be extremely careful about the way you look at your opponents. Maybe Portugal and Italy are slight favourites to qualify but you have to play first and then see what happens. What is really important is to state that futsal is growing so much all around Europe. The quality has improved a lot in Italy over recent years and that also reflects on our national squad."

Learn and win
Romania are among the big boys for the first time but they are out for more than just enjoyment of their new experience. According to the Romanian futsal coordinator Valeriu Ionitã, their team can do much more than just “learn”. “Regarding this European Championship, the most important thing for us is that we are here. As for the competition itself in November anything can happen. We have a young team that is gaining a lot of experience and I think we can produce some surprises. It doesn’t matter if we are in Group A or B because they are equally difficult. We faced Portugal two years ago but we have grown a lot since. Our team is like a baby to whom games are like milk. We have played more than 60 games over the last three years and that explains a bit of our recent rise in futsal”.

Lozano calm
The reigning champions have a tough task in Group B but Spain coach Javier Lozano is well aware his team will face a difficult defence of their crown. “We can’t complain about the draw because both groups are quite even. If you want to win a competition you have to be prepared to beat every opponent. But maybe Group B is more compact in the way that there are no major differences between the four teams. People can say that Spain, Russia and Ukraine are the favourites but you have to watch out for Serbia because they also have a great team. I think it’s a group where there will be many surprises.

'New history'
"We are favourites because we have a history behind us but we have to bear in mind that history does not win titles. We have to create a new history," Lozano added. "We not scared about getting the job done. This team is different from the one of 2005, not necessarily better. Spain are starting to have to cope with a big problem which is due to the few Spanish players who actually play in the national league, but we live in a global world. I don’t think it will be a failure if we don’t win the tournament. A failure would be not to do our best in order to achieve success."

Positive thinking
One of only two teams at the UEFA European Futsal Championship finals who were not present in Ostrava two years ago, Serbia could be forgiven for thinking they were unfortunate in the draw after being paired with Spain and Russia, but coach Aca Kovačević remains upbeat about his team’s chances. He said: “The draw was positive for my team. It’s a great opportunity to be able to compete at such a high level like this one. It’s a very tough group but we will do our best. I’m optimistic about our chances of qualifying. We are very excited with our presence in the finals and I think that is our greatest strength."




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