Courtesy: UEFA.com


UEFA Futsal EURO in numbers

Ukraine's clean sheets, Eder Lima's goals, Spain's now-ended 3,276-day run and thousands of fans: UEFA.com crunches the numbers ahead of Saturday's final in Antwerp.

Friday 7 February 2014

by Paul Saffer from Antwerp

0 Ukraine were the first team ever not to concede in the group stage while their number of goals scored, one, was a joint-record low.

1 Number of previous finals played without Spain – when Italy beat Ukraine 1-0 in 2003.

2 Either Russia or Italy will win their second title, their previous triumphs in 1999 and 2003 respectively the only past non-Spanish victories.

3 Most goals for a player in a single game, managed by Gašper Vrhovec of Slovenia against Azerbaijan and Russia's Eder Lima versus Romania.

4 UEFA Futsal EURO titles for Spain captain Torras – a number on which he will remain, one behind erstwhile team-mates Luis Amado and Kike.

5 Tournament-high number of assists by Portugal's Ricardinho, though he has also had the most shots off target, 14.

6 No team managed a maximum six points in the group stage; only the Netherlands lost both their matches.

7 Russia pivot Eder Lima's tally of goals in these finals has only been bettered by one man – his late compatriot Konstantin Eremenko, who managed eight in 1996 and 11 three years later.

8 Major championships in which Italy have eliminated Portugal (this is their 11th appearance in one).

9 Players in the final with previous experience of a decider: Italy's Saad Assis, who lost to Spain in 2007, and Russia's Gustavo, Sergei Sergeev, Sergei Abramov, Nikolai Pereverzev, Pula, Cirilo, Aleksandr Fukin and Ivan Milovanov from two years ago.

10 Number of players from UEFA Futsal Cup finals hosts Araz Naxçivan in the Azerbaijan squad – with both sides coached by Alesio.

13 Number of goals shipped by Azerbaijan in their two group games – as in Croatia two years ago.

20 Russia's win against Spain was their first in their 20 meetings (including – and excepting – the 1999 final penalty shoot-out).

21 Goals scored in the last five minutes of matches, exactly 20% of the total of 105.

40 Seconds it took Russia to go 2-1 up, be pegged back to 2-2 and then lead 3-2 against Spain in the semi-finals.

61 Number of different players to have scored in the finals (not counting own goals), including ten from Spain.

66 Seconds from the end of extra time that Robinho struck his winner against Spain in Russia's semi-final triumph.

105 Portugal goals notched by Joel Queirós – he needs two in the third-place play-off against Spain to equal André Lima's national record.

141 Matches since Spain last lost over 40 minutes (11 December 2005, 2-1 friendly defeat by Brazil) – it took a late Miguelín goal to preserve that record against Russia, despite the extra-time reverse.

3,276 Days between Spain's loss to Russia and their previous defeat by any means against a European team, 3-1 in the UEFA Futsal EURO 2005 group stage versus Italy on 17 February that year.

66,063 Total attendance so far for the 18 fixtures, with more than 13,000 tickets sold already for the final.

SEE ALL THE UEFA FUTSAL EURO 2014 STATISTICS




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Spain and Portugal target bronze

Deposed champions Spain and Portugal are both determined to leave Antwerp with a bronze medal as they assess their campaigns ahead of the third-place play-off.

Friday 7 February 2014

by Paul Saffer, Gonzalo Aguado & Nuno Tavares from Antwerp

For the first time in 11 years, a UEFA Futsal EURO final will take place without Spain, who will have just finished playing Portugal for third position when the main event unfolds on Saturday evening.

Spain's bid for a fifth straight title was ended 4-3 in extra time by Russia on Thursday, just after Portugal fell by the same scoreline in 40 minutes against Italy. So the teams that met in the 2010 final will face off for the 23rd time with a bronze medal at stake.

"We cannot leave here without third place – we are a team with pride and we want to show we are still the best," Spain coach José Venancio López told UEFA.com. Portugal's Jorge Braz, whose nation have won only one and lost 16 of their previous 22 Iberian derbies, added: "We still have an important match to play and our objective now is to finish on the podium. I will not go around with a sad or angry face just because we lost to Italy. Nobody will put this team down."

Spain started shakily with a 3-3 draw against Croatia, but topped Group D by beating the Czech Republic 8-1 and then overcame Slovenia 4-0 with a flawless quarter-final performance. Then came Russia and not only has a nine-year unbeaten record against European opposition ended, but for the first time since 2000 Spain will hold neither the world nor the continental title.

"It was a tough defeat," goalkeeper Rafa said. "But we have two stars [for FIFA Futsal World Cup wins] on the chest and six European Championships. We have lost other times and have always recovered. When you do things right, you recover early. We want to win on Saturday and win the next championship. We are made for that."

As for Portugal, they were second in Group B after defeating the Netherlands 5-0 and drawing 4-4 with Russia, and edged past Ukraine 2-1 before succumbing to Italy. "If anyone wants to point fingers or criticise someone, then I'm your man," Braz said.

"Having said that, I will carry on working the same way I've been doing. We are very sorry we couldn't repay with a victory all the support we have had in Antwerp from the Portuguese fans and I want to express my deepest and sincerest thanks to all of them. They are amazing."




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Futsal final referees excited by prospect

Saturday's UEFA Futsal EURO final between Italy and Russia will be refereed by Spain's Fernando Gutiérrez Lumbreras and Croatia's Saša Tomić, who said his appointment was a "dream".

Friday 7 February 2014

by Wayne Harrison from Antwerp

The UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 final on Saturday between Italy and Russia will be officiated by Fernando Gutiérrez Lumbreras and Saša Tomić, with Marc Birkett acting as third referee and Timo Onatsu the timekeeper.

Though their bid for a fifth successive continental title was ended in the last four by Russia, Spain will be represented in the Sportpaleis showpiece, kick-off 20.30CET, by Gutiérrez Lumbreras. The 43-year-old, like his Croatian counterpart Tomić, has overseen three matches in Antwerp, including the tournament opener between Russia and the Netherlands.

Tomić, 38, and Gutiérrez Lumbreras – who has been on duty at one previous Futsal EURO and was among UEFA's ten officials at the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand – took time out of their busy schedule to discuss their experience in Belgium and what it means to have been given such a prestigious appointment.

UEFA.com: Congratulations, how does it feel to have been selected to oversee the final?

Fernando Gutiérrez Lumbreras: It's very, very good. It's an honour for me to be a referee for this match because on many occasions my national team have been in the final.
Saša Tomić: It's a good feeling, it's my first EURO. Yesterday I had a good match, a classic, between Russia and Spain [4-3]. During the tournament I have been focused for every game and it's a great feeling.


UEFA.com: Where will this rank in your refereeing career?

Gutiérrez Lumbreras: Three years ago I refereed in the [UEFA Futsal Cup] final four in Kazakhstan, where there was no Spanish side, but on a national-team level it's the most important match for me. I'm very happy.
Tomić: It's at the top. I've been a FIFA referee since 2009 and this is the biggest event for me. I'm very proud to be here and to referee the final. It has been my dream.


UEFA.com: How much have you enjoyed the experience of being in Belgium?

Gutiérrez Lumbreras: The most important thing has been the hospitality of the people. I've been very happy with Saša too. We've been together in the same hall, same hotel, experiencing some of the same emotions and matches. It has been very good for us, both on the pitch and off it.
Tomić: We've had a nice time, everything has been excellent. The hospitality – the hotel, the food – has been nice. The Lotto Arena and Sportpaleis are great halls. Everything has been good.


UEFA.com: How important is it going into the final that you worked together previously during this tournament, for the Ukraine v Belgium fixture in the group stage?

Gutiérrez Lumbreras: I'm very pleased to whistle with Saša – the level of our refereeing is similar. Both teams had a chance to qualify in that match. It was challenging and, though there were no goals, it was very good for us. We had no problems, it was perfect.
Tomić: Yes, of course. It was a decisive match that ended 0-0. I had a very good feeling refereeing with Fernando and I'm happy we'll work together tomorrow. I'm relaxed and focused.


UEFA.com: What would represent the ideal game for you and your colleagues on Saturday?

Gutiérrez Lumbreras: The best thing would be if the referee was more or less 'invisible'. I hope next year nobody remembers anything special about the referees. I understand we are in charge of the final, but for futsal people it would better if they do not remember who the referees were.
Tomić: I hope to see a good game with many goals, but the most important thing for me is fair play and respect.






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