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UEFA.comBuses for fans in Split due to snowfallAs Split has been hit by its biggest snowfall in many years, UEFA and the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) are putting on special buses to the Spaladium Arena.Saturday 4 February 2012As Split has been hit by its biggest snowfall in many years, UEFA and the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) are endeavouring to make sure all fans can successfully reach the Spaladium Arena for the UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 game between Croatia and the Czech Republic tonight.
• Free buses have been laid on today (and will be on future matchdays if the weather remains the same) with three entry points: Metrojak, Pujanke and Brda.
• Buses run from 18.00 and will carry the sign ‘Futsal – Spaladium Arena'. Fans with tickets should be at the stops as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
• The buses will operate with the same routes leaving the Spaladium Arena from ten minutes after the game.
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UEFA.comRomania must meet SpainHaving booked their progress to the UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 quarter-finals on Thursday, Romania discovered tonight that they must switch from Split to Zagreb to play holders Spain.Saturday 4 February 2012Croatia's 5-4 win against the Czech Republic tonight has left Romania as UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 Group A runners-up, meaning a quarter-final against Spain in Zagreb at 18.30CET on Monday.
Romania began with a 2-1 loss to the hosts but then beat the Czech Republic 3-1. Croatia's win tonight confirmed Romania in second and they now have a tough task against the reigning champions, who beat Slovenia 4-2 and Ukraine 4-1 at Zagreb Arena, to which the side coached by Spaniard Sito Rivera must now travel from their previous base of Split. Romania have lost all nine of their games against Spain, most recently 7-1 in the 2010 Grand Prix in Brazil, though none have been in UEFA or FIFA competition.
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UEFA.comAzerbaijan, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Turkey reflectAzerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Turkey have headed home after their group stage exits. UEFA.com hears from the four teams on how their campaigns unfolded.Sunday 5 February 2012by
Paul Saffer &
Wayne Harrison from Zagreb & Split
The UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 quarter-finals begin on Monday but four nations will not be taking part.
Azerbaijan, Slovenia and Turkey, all seeded third, fell after two losses, while the Czech Republic then departed on Saturday, also with a pair of defeats. The quartet had contrasting expectations − Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic reached the 2010 semi-finals, Slovenia had never won a major tournament game while Turkey were making their debut − but all must now look forward.
For Azerbaijan, the 4-1 defeat by Portugal was disappointing, and the pulsating 9-8 loss to Serbia heartbreaking for a side who captured the fans' hearts with their thrilling futsal, just as two years ago in Hungary when they made an incredible breakthrough. "In 2010 we all played for the same club and that made a huge difference on the pitch because we knew each other very well and we connected perfectly," Thiago told UEFA.com.
"We also miss the influence of [injured] Biro Jade and we could see just that tonight as I don't think we would have conceded so many goals with him in the team. [Against Serbia] maybe we were not humble enough after scoring two early goals. We should have continued to play like we were doing until that moment: waiting for our opponents to make a mistake and scoring on the counterattack. It was a very sad farewell to the competition."
The Czech Republic, who defeated Azerbaijan for bronze two years ago, are also on their way home following a 3-1 reverse to Romania and a 5-4 loss against hosts Croatia. For Tomas Neumann, his charges' Achilles heel is obvious. "We can't score − that's our problem," he said. "We had a lot of chances over the two matches but we scored only during powerplays [when deploying a flying goalkeeper]. In qualifying we played very well but now I don't know why we can't score."
Slovenia raised many eyebrows with their battling performance in the 4-2 loss to Spain, but were overrun by Ukraine's swift counterattacks in a 6-3 defeat made more respectable by two late goals. Thousands of fans made the short trip to Zagreb to cheer them on, and like Azerbaijan and the Czechs, Slovenia can look forward to next Saturday's FIFA Futsal World Cup play-off draw, a two-legged tie away from Thailand.
Coach Andrej Dobovicnik said: "I hope we will feature more often in tournaments like this one in Croatia. This is a great incentive for the guys, who, of course, are not professionals. The problem with futsal in Slovenia is that we cannot do any extensive preparation, because the players have their own jobs every day."
Turkey do not have World Cup play-offs to prepare for, but it was no disgrace for the only nation to make it all the way from the preliminary round to the finals to lose to former champions Italy and Russia. "From Turkey [venue for the preliminary round] to Croatia I can see we have reached the same level as a lot of European teams," coach Ömer Kaner said.
"We'll do much better with time, of course, but in a few years when we get to this stage again we'll do our best and you will hear more about Turkish futsal."
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UEFA.comCroatia fired up for Ukraine quarter-finalIn the last eight for the first time, Croatia are looking to avenge a 4-1 FIFA Futsal World Cup loss to Ukraine in December when they take on the two-time runners-up in Split on Monday.Sunday 5 February 2012by
Wayne Harrison &
Bernard Jurisic from Split
If the prospect of playing in a sold-out arena was not motivation enough, Croatia have the added incentive of righting a recent wrong against Ukraine when they play the two-time runners-up in the UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 quarter-finals.
The teams met as recently as 16 December in the FIFA Futsal World Cup main round in Baku, where two Denys Ovsyannikov goals and one apiece from Serhiy Cheporniuk and Maxym Pavlenko secured a 4-1 win for Ukraine.
Having opened the group with a 3-1 victory against Azerbaijan, Croatia ended their campaign by overcoming the Former Yugolsav Republic of Macedonia 4-1. They could only be denied a play-off place if the hosts beat Ukraine by between two and four goals, but a pair of late Azerbaijan strikes gave them a 4-2 win that left Croatia in third.
With the World Cup exit still a sore point, forward Dario Marinovic cannot wait to turn the tables on Monday in Split. "We are very happy to be playing them because we still have open wounds from Azerbaijan," said Croatia's three-goal top scorer at the finals.
"You really don't need any extra motivation when you're the host and playing in the quarter-finals, but we have it against Ukraine. We just hope that the weather will be better so the arena will be sold out. With 10,000 fans behind us we'll be a tough team to beat."
Croatia impressed in topping Group A ahead of Romania and the Czech Republic to reach their first quarter-final. Although history has been made, Mato Stankovic believes his squad − yet to fall behind in the tournament − "hasn't reached the level we're capable of and we can play better in the next game".
They have been raucously backed at the Spaladium Arena, which reverberated with excitement during their thrilling 5-4 success against the Czechs. That kind of atmosphere might faze many a team but not Ukraine and their captain, Valeriy Legchanov.
"We won't feel the pressure of playing in front of 10,000 fans in Split," said the 31-year-old, who scored a hat-trick in his team's 6-3 defeat of Slovenia. "We're used to these kinds of matches; six months ago we played Brazil in their country in front of 15,000. If we play to our true level it won't matter how many fans are in the arena because we will win, for sure."
Gennadiy Lysenchuk could have Cheporniuk and goalkeeper Yevhen Ivanyak available for selection after the pair missed Saturday's 4-1 loss to Spain, which condemned them to second place in Group B, with minor injuries.
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UEFA.comRivera tells Romania not to fear SpainSito Rivera admits his Romania side "could be thrashed" by his Spanish compatriots in Monday's quarter-final but believes they can cause an upset and the holders are not complacent.Sunday 5 February 2012by
Paul Saffer &
Gonzalo Aguado from Zagreb
Romania were the first team to reach the UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 quarter-finals but two days later they learned the news they feared: that holders Spain would be their opponents at Arena Zagreb on Monday.
Spain have won all ten meetings with Romania, most recently 7-1 in the 2010 Grand Prix in Brazil. Four of those losses have come since Spaniard Sito Rivera took the Romania reins in 2009, but his tenure has proved a success so far, qualifying his adopted country for their second EURO and getting past the group stage with a 3-1 defeat of the Czech Republic having lost 2-1 to Croatia.
"Obviously it's the toughest possible match, which we will have to play with our heart and with our souls," Rivera said. "We have never won any of the ten matches, but we have our chances. We can win, especially if we have a huge day and Spain an average and modest one."
His opposite number, José Venancio López, is full of admiration for what Rivera has achieved with a team who only started playing in 2003, by which stage Spain had already won world and European titles. "It was a great success hiring him, because Romania have improved considerably in recent years," Venancio López said. "Their tactics have evolved considerably, and they have the resources to make the game difficult."
Aiming for a fourth straight crown, Spain beat Slovenia 4-2 and Ukraine 4-1 in the group stage to remain in Zagreb, but the experienced Álvaro looks set to miss out with a recurrence of his calf injury, and one Romanian ploy especially worries Venancio López.
"A weapon that they handle very well is the flying goalkeeper," he said. "Our players are very aware of what is at stake. We have to win because these are the games of life and death, moments of truth."
Rivera, missing the suspended Gabriel Dobre, knows the risk of removing the regular keeper may have to be taken. "Against Spain we could lose, we could even be thrashed, but I want my players to play how they know, not to be afraid. I think that I have achieved that," he said,
"Playing with a flying goalkeeper is a situation that depends on how the game goes, but you have to handle it well both in defence and attack. We are inferior to Spain, so I guess there will be times that we have to use that strategy."
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Luca Ranocchiari -->
luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com
