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UEFA.comKovacevic hopes for Serbia surpriseSerbia have a huge task against Portugal and Azerbaijan in Group D if they are to reach a second straight quarter-finals but Aca Kovacevic says his side play best against strong teams.Monday 23 January 2012Aca Kovacevic is leading Serbia in their third straight UEFA European Futsal Championship finals in Croatia but the 2010 quarter-finalists have a mammoth task in Group D against Portugal and Azerbaijan. The 56-year-old speaks to UEFA.com about his ambitions and philosophy.
UEFA.com: What do you think of your group?Aca Kovacevic: We got an extremely tough group; we are up against two teams that played in the semi-finals of the previous European Championship. I hope we will be able to repeat the success we achieved in Hungary in 2010. I hope we can edge out one of favourites and get to the next round.UEFA.com: What are your personal ambitions?Kovacevic: This is the third European Championship in a row that we've played in, and every qualification for the EURO is a great success. Every time we move to the next round it becomes an even greater success. I think that qualification for this EURO was an achievement, and we will try hard to get to the next round and be one of the top eight teams in Europe.UEFA.com: What are the strengths of your team?Kovacevic: Unpredictability. They are all great players, mentally, and they play best against the best teams. We showed that in the two previous European Championships, where we caused several surprises.UEFA.com: You won against Russia to top the group in 2010 but then lost 5-1 to Portugal in the quarter-finals...Kovacevic: After beating Russia, the players thought the success would continue. We are still not at the level where we can play difficult matches consecutively and keep winning, but they thought they would repeat that success against Portugal, and it was a debacle. But that is also an integral part of the sport. I hope we will manage to get to the second round again.UEFA.com: This region has always been renowned for its technically-gifted footballers. Do you think that is the reason why you are good at futsal too?Kovacevic: That's true, but a lot of that has been lost; we have neglected that individual quality. I have tried my best to instil that in the national team. We have a couple of top players that can really change a match, but clubs in Serbia have a tendency to copy the style of game they see abroad, but our game is not like any other. Players from this part of the world have this style, this attacking verve, and that is what we all need to work on, as well as nurturing individual skills.Courtesy:
UEFA.comReferee Janosevic at home in CroatiaDanijel Janosevic will referee at his first UEFA European Futsal Championship finals next week in his home nation of Croatia and speaks to UEFA.com about what that honour means to him.Monday 23 January 2012Not only will Croatia be making their return to the UEFA European Futsal Championship finals as hosts next week after an 11-year absence, the nation's leading referee Danijel Janosevic will also be officiating at this first major senior tournament.
The 41-year-old is not short of experience, having refereed the finals of the 2011 UEFA Futsal Cup final and 2008 UEFA European Under-21 Futsal Tournament, and he was also Futsalplanet.com's 2010 Best Futsal Referee in the World. But this will be the first time Janosevic has refereed international matches in his home nation and in a video inteview with UEFA.com, explains: "It means a lot to me, because I will referee, I will present my knowledge of futsal, of refereeing, in front of a domestic audience, in front of my friends; but still, for the benefit of European futsal."
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