Courtesy: UEFA.com


Former champions among main round starters

The UEFA Futsal Cup main round runs from Tuesday to Sunday with former champions MFK Dinamo Moskva and past semi-finalists Araz Naxçivan and Luparense C/5 all in action.

Monday 3 September 2012

by Paul Saffer

The UEFA Futsal Cup main round is played this week with former champions MFK Dinamo Moskva and past semi-finalists Araz Naxçivan and Luparense C/5 among the the teams in action.

Seven clubs progressed from last month's preliminary round to join 16 sides receiving byes to this stage, and the top two in each of the six mini-tournament groups will advance to the elite round in October. First to kick off is a strong-looking Group 3 in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, where experienced hosts FK EP Chrudim welcome City'US Târgu Mures, SK Energia Lviv and preliminary round winners KMF Leotar Trebinje.

Also tough is the three-team Group 5, one of four sections beginning on Wednesday, where MNK Split – from one of the two UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 host cities – receive 2007 winners and last season's runners-up MFK Dinamo Moskva plus Lidselmash Lida. Other clubs to watch starting that day are, in Group 6 at Győri ETO FC, Azerbaijani campaigners Araz, and the tournament's sole ever-presents Iberia Star Tblisi in Group 4 staged by Slovenia's FC Litija

The side that Araz beat to bronze in 2010, Italy's Luparense, are in the last pool to commence, Group 1 in Cyprus, with AC Omonia Nicosia hosting and Slov-Matic Bratislava providing a stiff challenge alongside FC Grand Pro Varna.

All 12 qualifying teams will join the four top seeds – holders FC Barcelona, 2010 winners SL Benfica, Murcia FS and Kairat Almaty – in the 13 September elite round draw. That phase of the competition, running from 9 to 14 October, will decide April's four finalists.

Main round

Group 1 (6-9 September): Luparense C/5 (ITA), Slov-Matic Bratislava (SVK), AC Omonia Nicosia (CYP)*, FC Grand Pro Varna (BUL)

Group 2 (5-8 September): KMF Ekonomac Kragyjevac (SRB), Nikars Riga (LVA)*, Vegakameratene (NOR), KMF Zelezarec Skopje (MKD)

Group 3 (4-7 September): FK EP Chrudim (CZE)*, City'US Târgu Mures (ROU), SK Energia Lviv (UKR), KMF Leotar Trebinje (BIH)

Group 4 (5-8 September): Iberia Star Tbilisi (GEO), Athina '90 (GRE), FC Litija (SVN)*, Paris Sporting Club (FRA)

Group 5 (5-8 September): MFK Dinamo Moskva (RUS), MNK Split (CRO)*, Akademia FC Pniewy (POL - withdrawn), Lidselmash Lida (BLR)

Group 6 (5-8 September): Araz Naxçivan (AZE), CF Eindhoven (NED), ETO FC Győr (HUN)*, EID Futsal (IRL)

*Hosts

Bye to elite round (9-14 October)
FC Barcelona (ESP, holders), SL Benfica (POR), Murcia FS (ESP), Kairat Almaty (KAZ)

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