Courtesy: UEFA.com

Scolari stands by futsal

Monday, 14 May 2007

by Nuno Tavares

from Porto

It was only fitting the 2007 UEFA European Futsal Championship draw, which took place in Porto on Saturday, should be conducted by the coach who has raised Portugal's football team to new heights.

Time out
Putting aside his regular duties for a few hours to decide the fate of the eight finalists at a ceremony at the stylish Casa Ferreirinha, Luiz Felipe Scolari said he could not be more honoured and proud to conduct the draw, especially as it enabled him to renew ties with an "old passion". Having been a futsal player himself in his youth, the 58-year-old Brazilian was 'thrilled' to associate his name with Europe's most important futsal competition. Ironically, his contribution comes at a time when futsal's popularity appears to have shifted from his homeland to Europe, where the likes of Spain, Russia, Italy, Ukraine and Portugal are profiting from strong national leagues.

Cautious approach
Scolari told uefa.com he believed the event could emulate the huge success of UEFA EURO 2004™ although he hoped the hosts would this time win the competition in front of their own fans. "I was very happy with the invitation to participate in this draw, especially because I liked futsal a lot when I played the game in my youth," Scolari said. Despite acknowledging the importance of home advantage, he was cautious about the hosts' chances. "The Portuguese team has what it takes to succeed but we cannot forget just how good their opponents are. I think people must not already demand the title from Orlando Duarte's men. We have to take it a game at a time and if we get to the final, which is the main objective, than anything can happen."

'Different realities'
Futsal is often seen as the perfect nurturing ground for football, with the likes of Deco, Romário and Ronaldo all having profited from the close control and technique the indoor sport provides. However, Scolari knows from his own experience that a good futsal player often finds it hard to adjust to eleven-side football. "Futsal is a good starting point for a footballer but we are talking about two completely different realities," he said. "For instance when I was coaching Grêmio FBPA I had a player in my team called Manoel Tobias, one of the greatest futsal performers of all time. He signed a professional contract with us to play but he returned to futsal after only three months because he was not able to adapt. Having said that it's obvious we can take advantage of what futsal has to offer - mainly the lightning speed at which it is played."

Drive and passion
As Portugal have established themselves as one of the world's leading football nations under Scolari, so the country has risen up through the futsal ranks over recent years not least in collecting a third-place finish at the 2000 FIFA Futsal Word Cup. The charismatic coach has no doubt about the secret of a small country making such an impact on an international level. "I think the main reason for all this success is due to the work developed by the Portuguese Football Association," Scolari said. "Then we also have the drive and passion of the Portuguese people for sport in general. Although there are only ten million people there's a lot of talent and a huge will to go even further." Portugal's UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying campaign may prevent him from attending the finals which take place between 16 and 25 November but one thing is for sure, Scolari’s still has a soft spot for his childhood passion.



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