Courtesy: UEFA.com


Main chance to join futsal Elite

Friday 7 September 2007

by Paul Saffer

Former finalists SL Benfica and last season's surprise packages CIP Deva, Clearex Chorzów and KMF Marbo Beograd are among the sides beginning their 2007/08 UEFA Futsal Cup campaign over the next week as the Main round is played.

Saturday start
The four Preliminary round winners are joining the teams ranked 5-24 in the rankings in six groups, each of which will produce to clubs for the Elite round. Kicking the action off on Saturday is Group 4 in Hungary, in which one of last year's Elite round entrants Futsal Club Gödöllõ, begin at home to competition regulars Athina '90 Athens. In the same pool Montenegro's debut contenders KMF Municipium Casino Pljevlja, fresh from the Preliminary round, meet Futsal Topsport Antwerpen - who beat previously ever-present ex-European champions Action 21 Charleroi to the 2006/07 Belgian title.

Chorzów hope
On Monday, Beograd make their entry in Group 6 against Sweden's Skövde AIK with Czech hosts FK Era-Pack Chrudrim and Finland's Ilves FS Tampere also involved, while Group 1 starts in Poland with Chorzów - pipped to the final four by Charleroi last season - up against FC Mapid Minsk, Israeli qualifiers Hapoel Ironi Rishon Lezion and Macedonian champions KMF Alfa Parf Skopje. The same day Group 3 opens in Azerbaijan with hosts Araz Naxçivan taking on Italy's Luparense and Slov-Matic Fofo Bratislava playing FC Camelot Chisinau

Benfica bow
The only team to have entered all seven editions, Iberia 2003 Tbilisi, start on Wednesday in Group 5 against Croatian hosts HMNK Gospiæ, with ambitious Romanian champions Deva aiming to continue their rise when they play Slovenia's KMN Puntar. Benfica, runners-up in 2003/04, wait until Thursday before beginning Group 2 against Politekhnik Yerevan, with Bulgarian home team meeting SK Energia, who deprived former semi-finalists FC Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukrainian championship last season.

Elite round
That group concludes on Sunday 16 September, and two days later the Elite round draw is made in Nyon. Joining the 12 Main round qualfieid will be the top four seeds; holders MFK Dinamo Moskva, their Russian rivals MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg, Spanish champions ElPozo Murcia FS and Kairat Almaty. The four Elite round groups are played for 13-21 October with the group winners progressing to the final four scheduled for 26-28 April. The club to stage that event are to be picked from among the finalists to follow in the footsteps of inaugural 2006/07 hosts Murcia.



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