Courtesy: UEFA.com

Benfica face tough futsal fixtures

Monday 2 July 2007

Foprmer UEFA Futsal Cup finalists SL Benfica will face Ukrainian newcomers SK Energia Lviv in the Main round after the draw for the first two stages of the 2007/08 competition was made in Nyon.

Fixtures
Benfica were runners-up in 2003/04 and if they are to get that far again will have to first finish in the top two of their pool in September. Along with Energia - who ended FC Shakhtar Donetsk's three-year run as Ukrainian champions - Benfica meet home side MFC Varnana and the winners of Preliminary round Group D, which along with the other five pools in that stage will be played from 11 to 19 August and will for the first time feature clubs from Estonia, the Republic of Ireland and Montenegro.

Intruiging meetings
Along other Main round meetings, last year's surprise package CIP Deva of Romania play this tournament's only ever-present entrants, Georgia's Iberia 2003 Tbilisi. Another team to impress in 2006/07, Futsal Club Gödöllõ from Hungary, will welcome the team who pipped former winners Action 21 Charleroi to the Belgian title, Futsal Topsport Antwerpen.

Elite round
Holders MFK Dinamo Moskva, their Russian rivals MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg, Spanish champions ElPozo Murcia FS and Kairat Almaty are seeded straight into the Elite round draw on 18 September. Matches will be played from 13 to 21 October with the group winners progressing to April's final four; the hosts are to be picked from among their number to follow in the footsteps of Murcia.

2007/08 UEFA Futsal Cup Preliminary round: 11-19 August

Group A
FCK De Hommel (NED)
FK Nafta Mažeikiai (LTU)
Uni Futsal Club Bulle (SUI)
Hapoel Ironi Rishon Lezioyn (ISR)

Group B
Ararat AGBU Nicosia (CYP)
KS Ali Demi Tirana (ALB)
Issy Futsal (FRA)
KMF Muicipium Plevlja (MNE)

Group C
FK Kauguri (LVA)
FC Camelot Chisinau (MDA)
FV Eppelborn (GER)
FC Anzhi Tallinn (EST)

Group D
FC Politekhnik Yerevan (ARM)
Fair City Santos FC (SCO)
Stella Rossa Vienna (AUT)
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)

Group E
MNK Kaskada Gracanica (BIH)
Skövde AIK (SWE)
Jeepers FC (MLT)

Group F
KMN Puntar Tolmin (SVN)
FC Encamp (AND)
London White Bear FC (ENG)

2007/08 UEFA Futsal Cup Main round: 8-16 September

Group 1
Clearex Chorzów (POL)
FC Mapid Minsk (BLR)
KMF Alfa Parf Skopje (MKD)
Winner Preliminary round Group A

Group 2
SL Benfica (POR)
SK Energia Lviv (UKR)
MFC Varna (BUL)
Winner Preliminary round Group D

Group 3
Araz Naxçivan (AZE)
Slov-Matic Fofo Bratislava (SVK)
Luparense C/5 (ITA)
Winner Preliminary round Group C

Group 4
Futsal Topsport Antwerpen (BEL)
Futsal Club Gödöllõ (HUN)
Athina '90 Athens (GRE)
Winner Preliminary round Group B

Group 5
FC CIP Deva (ROU)
Iberia 2003 Tbilisi (GEO)
HMNK Gospiæ (CRO)
Winner Preliminary round Group F

Group 6
KMF Marbo Beograd (SRB)
FK Era-Pack Chrudrim (CZE)
Ilves FS (FIN)
Winner Preliminary round Group E

Group hosts in bold