Courtesy: UEFA.com


Dinamo celebrate as Spain awaits classic

Monday 26 May 2008

by Paul Saffer

MFK Dinamo Moskva's return to the UEFA Futsal Cup has been confirmed after they wrapped up the Russian Super League title at the weekend while this year's beaten finalists, ElPozo Murcia FS, have set up yet another Spanish play-off final showdown with two-time European champions Interviú Fadesa.

Kelson winner
Dinamo, whose only loss this season was the penalty shoot-out defeat by Murcia that cost them their UEFA Futsal Cup crown at the semi-final stage in Moscow last month, only needed one point to clinch the title after their 43rd of 48 2007/08 league fixtures on Friday against MFK Mytischi Moscow Region. Although Cirilo's 15th-minute opener was immediately cancelled out, Kelson made it 2-1 with ten minutes left, and that win was followed up a day later by a 4-1 triumph.

Rudnev delight
Coach Yuri Rudnev said: "After the game I was asked: 'Are you tired of victories?' No, I'm not tired. Of course, coming through the season unbeaten is a result that deserves attention. This is the result of hard work by the players and the club leadership. I believe that we have experienced a season without flaws. The UEFA Futsal Cup result I would not count as a slip. Here, in my opinion, luck was not on our side but we still played up to our expected standard." MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg, who succeeded Dinamo as European champions, are third with four games remaining, 21 points adrift of Dinamo and three of TTG-Java Yugorsk, following 6-1 and 6-2 wins against MFK Lipetsk.

Spanish giants through
For the fifth time in six years, Murcia and Interviú have won through to the Spanish championship final and both did so with a match to spare. Murcia, who defeated the former Boomerang Interviú 12 months ago to win their second straight title, had already beaten Carnicer Torrejón 3-0 at home and won 2-1 away on Saturday with a last-minute Cuco own goal to wrap up the best-of-three series. Interviú, victors against Murcia in the finals of 2003, 2004 and 2005, beat FC Barcelona 5-2 at home and 3-2 away with Torras and Joan both on target in the 37th minute to turn the game.

Final dates
Having ended the regular season eleven points clear of second-placed Interviú, Murcia have home advantage in the first match on 3 June and if both teams have one win after the second match in Madrid four days later, ElPozo will stage the decider on 14 June. Only the winners will compete in next season's UEFA Futsal Cup, for which the likes of this year's fourth-placed team Kairat Almaty, 2005 champions Action 21 Charleroi and past semi-finalists FC Shakhtar Donetsk have already qualified.





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