Courtesy: UEFA.com


Final sell-out follows packed opening night

UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 started with a sell-out – and organisers are looking to put extra tickets on offer for the final after announcing all 13,000 seats have been snapped up.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 started in Antwerp on Tuesday with a sell-out – and organisers are looking to put extra tickets on offer for the 8 February final after announcing that all 13,000 seats at the Sportpaleis decider have been snapped up.

The group stage is being played at the Lotto Arena before the action switches next door for the knockout phase to the Sportpaleis, nearly three times the size. The sold-out signs went up on Tuesday as Belgium opened against Romania after the Netherlands faced Russia, and it will be the same on Saturday as the hosts attempt to save their campaign versus Ukraine.

"It's unusual in Belgium to have such a [big] crowd," Belgium coach Alain Dopchie told UEFA.com after their 6-1 loss to Romania, a match the home side were very much in until the closing stages. "Those supporters, they were great. They came to see the game and, I have to say, they got what they wanted: excitement."

Emil Răducu, who opened the scoring for Romania to silence that crowd, said: "It's always good to see the arena full of people, it is very important for futsal – that is why we play, so people can come and see us."

Whoever makes the final and third-place play-off on Saturday week, there will be plenty of people in attendance, with ticket sales ensuring the second-largest UEFA Futsal EURO crowd on record after the 14,300 that watched hosts Croatia lose their 2012 semi-final to Russia in Zagreb.

Tournament organisers are aiming to open up extra seats for that occasion, while tickets remain on sale for other matches in the finals at €10 and €5 – with children under 12 and disabled fans admitted free.


Courtesy: UEFA.com


Romania want repeat display against Ukraine

Nelu Stancea told UEFA.com he "hopes we can play like we did against Belgium", Romania's 6-1 win putting them on the brink of the last eight ahead of meeting Ukraine.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

by Wayne Harrison & Mikhail Malkin from Antwerp

More of the same, please – that is the message from Nelu Stancea following Romania's 6-1 triumph over Belgium that has put the Tricolorii on the cusp of the UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 quarter-finals.

Inspired by the towering Florin Matei, who set up three goals and scored one of his own, Romania were compact defensively against the hosts while being ruthless on the counterattack, a devastating combination Stancea would like to see repeated on Thursday when they return to the Lotto Arena.

Another win would ensure Romania top Group A and thereby match their feat of reaching the last eight two years ago in Croatia. Anything less than a five-goal reverse will also be sufficient for a place in the knockouts.

Stancea told UEFA.com: "It was important not to concede many goals [on Tuesday], because our match with Ukraine will be very difficult. We hope to play like we did against Belgium and maybe to finish first in our group. Ukraine have a very good, young team and tactically they are astute."

That performance was keenly noted by Yevhen Ryvkin, who succeeded the long-serving Gennadiy Lysenchuk as Ukraine boss 12 months ago, a position he combines with his role as coach of Lokomotiv Kharkiv. "Romania are persistent and play very smart futsal – they punish their opponents for all mistakes, even the smallest ones," he said.

"We make a plan for each match. We have seen how Romania won against Belgium and we do respect our next opponents. They are leading the group, but it would be fair to look at the standings after all the matches have finished."

Though they may not admit it, Romania almost certainly have a score to settle with the two-time runners-up, having lost 5-4 on aggregate to them in the play-offs for the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup. "It will be a tough game, because Ukraine are a good team," said Emil Răducu, who elegantly swept in the opener against Belgium.

"We played against them a couple of years ago and although they have changed a few players [only six of their squad for that World Cup tie are in Antwerp], it will be difficult, so we will see what happens. We have a good chance of winning the group, but so do all the teams."

Like Romania, Ukraine also qualified for this tournament via the play-offs, albeit in contrasting fashion. While their opponents made light work of Serbia, cruising through 9-3 overall, Ryvkin's side squeezed past Hungary on away goals.

Not that the coach is concerned. "It's not my duty to evaluate my work – the game will be the judge," he explained. "We've prepared well, but the most important measure of our readiness will be the matches, the results."



Courtesy: UEFA.com


Antwerp-based Attaibi wants to keep campaign going

Mohamed Attaibi plays his club futsal in host city Antwerp, but while he enjoyed the build-up, he knows the Netherlands are up against it if they are not to be eliminated.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

by Paul Saffer from Antwerp

When Mohamed Attaibi scored with just over one minute to go in September's play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina to take the Netherlands to UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 on away goals, his senior finals debut was to have extra resonance.

Last June, the forward moved south of the border to join Futsal Topsport Antwerpen, who are based in the city that is staging this tournament. However, when Attaibi struck again in the Netherlands' opener with Russia at the Lotto Arena on Tuesday it was not joy unconfined, as his team were already six down and were to succumb 7-1.

Another defeat by Portugal on Thursday would mean the Netherlands become the first team to be eliminated, and Attaibi knows the odds are against them having in the last few days lost a friendly 6-0 in Spain then been beaten by Russia. "We played Spain last week and now Russia, and I think they will play against each other in the semi-final," Attaibi told UEFA.com. "For us it will be a learning experience again [against Portugal], I hope we will do better."

The Netherlands' last finals appearance was in 2005, when they also opened by losing to Russia on their way to a group stage elimination. But while the 25-year-old Attaibi is making his bow in a major senior tournament, he – like three of his squad-mates – experienced the experimental 2008 UEFA European Under-21 Futsal Tournament in St Petersburg, where the Dutch lost to Ukraine and Spain but beat Kazakhstan.

"I played in the U21s in Russia in 2008 and now for the first time for Holland [in a senior finals]. It is already good that we are here," Attaibi said. "We are going to try and do our best and maybe we will win against Portugal and then maybe we will be through."

Still, from the moment he scored to take the Netherlands to the finals, Attaibi has been able to build up to the event here in Antwerp, where the anticipation has been high – as shown by the packed crowd for the opening night on Tuesday when Belgium against Romania followed the Dutch's game.

"A lot of people came out, and in the play-offs I scored the deciding goal to play here so it is already good and we are just trying to do our best," Attaibi said. "It has been great. For the last couple of months there was a lot of talk about it, so living here it was really nice."


Courtesy: UEFA.com


Portugal pumped for Netherlands game

Portugal "can't wait" to get started in Group B against the Netherlands, whose coach Marcel Loosveld is trying to pick up his players after their heavy opening loss to Russia.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

by Paul Saffer & Nuno Tavares from Antwerp

Portugal begin their UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 bid on Thursday knowing victory against the Netherlands would take them straight into the quarter-finals.

The Netherlands opened Group B with a 7-1 loss to Russia on Tuesday and another defeat would end their campaign, leaving Portugal and the 2012 runners-up through with just first place to decide. However, Portugal coach Jorge Braz knows full well that the Dutch, who were playing their first finals game in nine years, were not at their best against Russia.

"I watched the match between Russia and the Netherlands, but it wasn't the real Netherlands," Braz told UEFA.com. "Their players played in a very shy and tentative fashion. If you don't show intensity against a team like Russia everything gets more complicated. Their team fell asleep and they conceded two or three goals in a very naïve way. Then, with all the goals flying in, they just gave up fighting."

Missing suspended Arnaldo, Braz added: "We don't have to worry about what happened in the first match. The only thing that matters to us is our own games, even more when there's little or nothing to take from such a one-sided match like [Russia v Netherlands]. We know the Netherlands pretty well and we are aware of their weaknesses and strengths. My team is showing a very positive attitude and they can't wait to start the tournament."

Netherlands coach Marcel Loosveld was realistic about his side's chances before the tournament, knowing they were taking on the beaten finalists in the last two editions. Approaching the Portugal match aware another reverse would mean his team become the first to be eliminated, Loosveld is trying to pick up his players.

"Of course, we will prepare and try to get the best out of it, but we know Portugal are a great team," he said. "It will be difficult for us to get any result again.

"I hope we can do something with the players psychologically. They will want to play on Thursday in a different way, of course. I am disappointed [after the Russia loss] but not angry with my players. I am a futsal insider and I know the critical factors in getting any result."

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