Courtesy: UEFA.com

Andorra, Switzerland to stage preliminary groups

Andorra and Switzerland have been confirmed as the host countries of preliminary round Groups E and F, among six mini-tournaments involving 22 teams to be played from 22 ot 27 January.

Thursday 13 December 2012

Andorra and Switzerland have been confirmed as the hosts of UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 preliminary round Groups E and F respectively.

While the other four mini-tournaments to be held from 22 to 27 January had home nations pre-defined before last week's draw, the remaining sections did not. That was resolved by a draw at UEFA's Nyon headquarters today as Andorra were selected to welcome Israel, Estonia and debutants Sweden in Group E, and Switzerland picked to host Group F rivals Albania, Norway and newcomers Denmark.

A total of 22 teams will start in the preliminary round and the winners of the six mini-tournaments played in late January will progress to the main round. That draw is already made, so the winners of Group E know they will be in a section staged by holders Spain and containing Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, while the side that tops Group F will travel to Slovakia and also meet Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the main round, taking place between 27 and 30 March, seven group winners will advance to join hosts Belgium in the final tournament. The seven runners-up plus the best third-placed country will contest play-offs on 17 and 24 September. The winners of the four two-legged ties will complete the 12-team lineup for the finals in Antwerp from 28 January to 8 February 2014.

Preliminary round (22–27 January)

Group A: France*, Montenegro, San Marino, Gibraltar**
Group B: Moldova, Georgia, Malta*
Group C: Lithuania*, Cyprus, England
Group D: Greece, Bulgaria*, Armenia, Wales
Group E: Israel, Andorra*, Estonia, Sweden
Group F: Albania, Norway, Switzerland*, Denmark

Main round (27–30 March)

Group 1: Italy*, Hungary, Finland, Winner Group A
Group 2: Azerbaijan, Slovakia*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Winner Group F
Group 3: Russia, Romania, Kazakhstan, Latvia*
Group 4: Spain*, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Winner Group E
Group 5: Portugal, Serbia*, Poland, Winner Group D
Group 6: Czech Republic, Belarus, Netherlands*, Winner Group B
Group 7: Ukraine, Slovenia, Turkey*, Winner Group C

* Hosts

** The UEFA Executive Committee admitted Gibraltar as a provisional member of UEFA on 1 October 2012. This follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in August 2011. A decision on the admission of the Gibraltar Football Association as a full member of UEFA will be taken by the XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress in London in May 2013. As per a UEFA Executive Committee decision, Spain and Gibraltar could not be drawn in the same group (so the winners of Gibraltar's preliminary round group could not be drawn in Spain's main round group).






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