Courtesy: UEFA.com


Slovenia to 'fight for each other' against Spain

"We know Spain are a better team on paper, so we'll fight even more," Igor Osredkar told UEFA.com as he explained how Slovenia will try to topple the holders in the last eight.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

by Wayne Harrison from Antwerp

Igor Osredkar and his Slovenia team-mates intend to work doubly hard to bridge the quality gap between the first-time UEFA Futsal EURO quarter-finalists and decorated opponents Spain when they go head-to-head on Tuesday.

The sides convene at Antwerp's Sportpaleis vying for the right to face Russia, so polished in brushing aside Romania 6-0, in the last four. The form book points to only one outcome – a Spain victory. Slovenia have only won once in nine attempts at continental finals, beating Italy 3-2 last week, and have never defeated La Roja in 13 encounters dating back to 1996.

Consider that the holders have not lost over 40 minutes since December 2005 and the scale of the challenge facing the Balkan selection assumes gargantuan proportions. However, if José Venancio López's all-stars are to progress, they will have to overcome a set of players "with big hearts" who give everything for each other.

"We know Spain are a better team on paper, so that's why we'll fight even more," team captain Osredkar told UEFA.com. "We've accomplished our goal – we've qualified for the quarter-finals – and we'll definitely fight, we'll fight for each other. Spain are favourites for the match, we're the outsiders, but we'll never surrender before the game."

The FC Litija man has fond recent memories of Spain, having registered twice last month in a 5-5 friendly draw between the nations in Maribor. "It was nice to score against one of the best teams in Europe," said the 27-year-old. "I will try to get a good result and maybe I will score again. It would be nice."

Osredkar, a combative character who in Slovenia's triumph over Italy greeted tackles and blocks with roars of delight, was also in the squad that succumbed 4-2 to Spain in their opening game at Croatia 2012. This fixture, though, has greater billing. "It's one of the biggest matches of my national team career," he explained. "I can compare it to when I played Barcelona [in the 2012/13 UEFA Futsal Cup elite round]."

While the odds are stacked against them, Slovenia's exploits against Spain in early January, plus the way Croatia held the six-time winners 3-3 in their tournament curtain-raiser, gives Osredkar a glimmer of hope. "Every team is beatable and this is only one match, but we know Spain are favourites," he said. "We'll try to win."




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Referees working hard at Futsal EURO

English referee Mark Birkett tells UEFA.com about the hectic but rewarding life of UEFA Futsal EURO officials while Pedro Galán Nieto explains an innovation for these 2014 finals.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

by Paul Saffer from Antwerp

The first week of UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 in Antwerp has been hectic for everyone involved – not least the referees.

"I've been very busy in this championship; up to Sunday I'll have had five games [in six days]," English official Marc Birkett told UEFA.com. "I've had one day off since arriving, so it has been quite demanding. Physically for the games but mentally to get yourself up to whistle the games then drop yourself down a bit to be third referee on the table, but then all those roles and responsibilities change. So to move between the roles without having a day to switch off in between has been quite challenging but equally enjoyable."

Birkett is one of 16 referees from as many nations at this tournament, overseen by four instructors, themselves former top international officials. "The tournament so far has been a really good experience," said Birkett, who also refereed at UEFA Futsal EURO 2012 in Croatia and officiated at the FIFA Futsal World Cup final in Bangkok later that year. "We've had some very good games, some very challenging games. The organisation has been very good, the halls are spectacular and the show UEFA has been putting on for us has been brilliant."

Staying together on a floor at the tournament hotel, Birkett says of the referees' set-up: "To be in a camp is good because we are bouncing off each other all the time. We have the opportunity to relax with our colleagues and the chance to talk about the games, but also talk about other things as well. To get to know our colleagues a little bit more as people.

"What they try to do here with the training programmes and technical meeting, we're engaged as a group from first thing in the morning all the way through the day, including the games. Our training's been specially designed for us as futsal referees to maximise our efforts in the game. Not just physical preparation but mental preparation as well, which has most definitely helped us, leading into hopefully being more successful on the pitch."

An innovation in Antwerp has been pre-tournament meetings between the referee instructors and the teams, something common in UEFA football tournaments in recent years but a first for futsal. Instructor Pedro Galán Nieto of Spain explained: "We wanted them to know that in November UEFA organised a course with these referees in Belgium just to unify the criteria or the futsal laws. And the same instructions we gave to the referees, we gave to the teams."

Birkett added: "That definitely helps and helps build relationships between the refereeing family and the playing family. Futsal is more of a family anyway and we are all here to learn off each other to take the game to where we want it to go."






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