Courtesy: Belarusian Telegraph Agency


Belarus draw Kazakhstan friendly, complete preparations for Futsal Euro 2014

22.03.2013

MINSK, 22 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian national futsal team have completed their UEFA Futsal Euro 2014 preparations with the 1-1 friendly draw against Kazakhstan, BelTA has learnt.

Head coach Valery Dosko’s Belarus went ahead five minutes into the game, Belarus’ Oleg Gorbenko breaking the deadlock. The Belarusian team almost had the math in hand but Kazakh Mikhail Pershin’s strike four minutes from time leveled the tie.

The Belarusian national futsal team will depart for the Netherlands on 26 March to compete in group 6 of the Futsal Euro 2014 qualification. The first match will see Belarus meeting the hosts of the tournament the Netherlands. In the parallel match the Czech Republic will take on Georgia. On 28 March Belarus face qualification hopefuls the Czech Republic, while the tournament hosts will play against Georgia. The ultimate qualification matches will be played on 30 March with Belarus taking on Georgia and the Czech Republic encountering the Netherlands.

Other qualification groups are as follows:

1 (Host country: Italy) - Hungary, Italy, Finland, Montenegro;
2 (Slovakia) - Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Slovakia;
3 (Latvia) - Latvia, Russia, Romania, Kazakhstan;
4 (Spain) - Spain, Macedonia, Croatia, Sweden;
5 (Serbia) - Greece, Serbia, Poland, Portugal;
7 (Turkey) - England, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Winners of the seven qualifying round groups advance to the final tournament of the UEFA Futsal Euro 2014 that will be played in Antwerp, Belgium, from 28 January to 8 February 2014. Seven second-placed teams in these groups and one best third-placed team will be drawn into four pairs that will compete in the play-off round in September 2013. Four winners will proceed to the final tournament of UEFA Futsal Euro 2014. The final tournament will begin with the 12 contenders drawn into four groups of three teams. The UEFA Futsal European Championships were hosted by Croatia in 2012, Hungary (2010), Portugal (2007), the Czech Republic (2005), Italy (2003), Russia (2001) and Spain (1996 and 1999).

In 2010 Belarus managed to advance to the final tournament of UEFA Futsal European championship together with eleven other teams. Belarus were drawn against strong sides Spain and Portugal and failed to proceed to the Euro Futsal Play-off finishing in the third place in their section. Both Belarus’ group opponents reached final where Spain outclassed Portugal 4-2. Two years later Spain were the best team again at the UEFA Euro 2012 in Croatia. Spain has taken six European futsal titles (1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012) and clinched silver (1999) and bronze (2003) medals on two other occasions. The Red Fury, which is Spain’s nickname, are also two-time world champions.






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