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 after Italy's triumph in Antwerp.

Saturday 8 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 Italy won their second title. Their previous triumphs in 2003 and Russia's of 1999 were 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, 18.

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

8 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.

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.

106 Portugal goals notched by Joel Queirós after his three in Antwerp – one short of André Lima's national record

121 Goals scored in the tournament, the average of 6.05 goals per game up from 5.45 two years ago.

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.

89,240 Total attendance for the 20 fixtures.

SEE ALL THE UEFA FUTSAL EURO 2014 STATISTICS




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Tired Russia accept 'fair' final defeat

Sergei Skorovich and Aleksandr Fukin cited the energy – both mental and physical – expended in beating Spain as one of the key reasons they finished runners-up to Italy in Antwerp.

Sunday 9 February 2014

by Mikhail Malkin from Sportpaleis

Sergei Skorovich, Russia coach
First of all, we didn't win because we were very tired mentally after the semi-final against Spain. We didn't have any emotional energy left for the final, where your heart should throb and you should have an ice-cold mentality. We didn't manage to do this.

We made mistakes and let our opponents score goals. Italy probably played their best match ever, while we didn't put on our best performance. Many of our players couldn't show their true qualities. If you want to win a final you should show all of your abilities, all of your strengths, but today our opponents prevented us [from doing that].

It was tough. It was tough for the whole match. We felt from the very beginning that something was going wrong. We tried to change the situation in order to get the right result. We believed until the end that we could do something. There were some moments when we nearly did it.

Unfortunately, nothing changed. We were still believing when we were losing by two goals in the last minute. Anything is possible in futsal. Spain proved that in the last EURO final [against Russia] and showed how to score goals using a flying keeper. They saved themselves and avoided defeat. We had faith until the very end, we tried to make things happen, but it didn't work out.

Every defeat is sad, but afterwards you get enough time to think and analyse what went wrong. We played in the final last time and we played in the final here. We have proved that we are not just accidental finalists. We know that we need to improve. Big wins will come.

Vladislav Shayakhmetov, Russia forward
It is a fair defeat. Too many things didn't work out. We know how Italy execute set plays, but we conceded the first goal from a corner. This goal hurt us deeply. Our first half [display] was just disgusting and, overall, we didn't play well at all. But life goes on, futsal doesn't stop existing. It's better to learn from the mistakes of others, but we will learn from our own mistakes.

Aleksandr Fukin, Russia forward
I have lost three EURO finals [2005, 2012 and 2014] and each of these defeats has had a very bitter taste. Overall we had a good tournament, we beat Spain in the semi-finals. The previous match affected our performance today. We left too much energy there, left our hearts. We made too many mistakes in the first half and these mistakes led to the goals we conceded.

We improved our performance after half-time, but it was [only] enough to be on the same level as Italy. The lads did everything they could, but we didn't have energy to push more, to add something.

We accept the loss. We agree that Italy were the better side. It is absolutely fair – Italy are the champions by right. They lost their first match in the EURO finals [3-2 to Slovenia], but since then they have been great. I like their team very much. I want to ask our fans from every part of Russia forgiveness for the fact that we didn't make our mutual dream come true. I hope they will understand everything. We fought until the end.

Rauf Aliyev, Russian Futsal Association (AMFR) president
We hoped to win, but we understood that the semi-final against Spain made everything much harder for us. It was probably easier for Italy, as they didn't play against Spain. Russian Football Union (RFS) president Nikolai Tolstykh visited our upset players in the dressing room and told them that winning silver medals, after beating Spain, is a triumph. A small one, but still. Russia didn't look like Russia today, the team we are used to seeing.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


Champions Italy repay their fans' love

Sergio Romano described Italy's final win as "wonderful" while Roberto Menichelli said of his team, "the people who know them, love them". UEFA.com rounds up the Azzurri reaction.

Sunday 9 February 2014

by Paolo Menicucci from Sportpaleis

Roberto Menichelli, Italy coach
It's a great joy, a great satisfaction for me and for the players, who were simply fantastic once again tonight. This victory is very important for the whole of Italian futsal. It was a hard-fought game. We had to be very good to make it look easy, but we were facing an extremely strong side who I want to congratulate for what they did in this tournament.

Tonight we did everything well: defending, attacking, set pieces – everything. That is the result of the hard work we have done in recent years. [Gabriel] Lima played well, but you know I never talk about individual players because the group is our main strength.

I always try to work as hard as I can. In life it doesn't matter what people think about you, but what you do. This is certainly my biggest victory, but this team gave me several things to be happy about and I'm not talking only about great results. They are nice guys, the people who know them, love them. I'm not surprised that so many people came to support us today. They were crucial for us, an extra motivation for the players.

Sergio Romano, Italy defender
I still can't understand my emotions now, I need a bit of time. It's something impossible to describe. Maybe we played even better than the previous games. We didn't make mistakes and we fully deserved to win. We started with a handicap with that [3-2] defeat against Slovenia, but, ironically, that game was very helpful for our success. It's wonderful, absurd.

It's absurd that we were put under pressure less than in the games against Croatia and Portugal because our approach was perfect. We took the lead. We were ahead at the break, we defended well in the second half and we could also have killed off the game, but we are extremely happy because we knew that we had a great chance this year. We knew we were in good form and we deserved the win

The last minute is modified in futsal, it felt at least like three minutes tonight. But tonight it was difficult for our opponents because we really wanted this victory

I haven't talked to my dad [who attends all his international games] yet – I hope he is still alive after all these emotions. He must be so happy. At Under-21 level I played a [UEFA European Under-21 Futsal Tournament] final against Russia and we lost it in a semi-tragic way, so tonight it's a double satisfaction for me. It's sweet revenge.

Gabriel Lima, Italy captain
I'm here to stress once again that our squad was the key to our success here. Not because I'm the captain but because this is the only truth. Look at Murilo, who was the last player to be added to the squad and today he scored the winner in the final. I improved my performances in the final stages of the tournament, I understood my team-mates needed me to play better and I did.

We were very intelligent today, very patient because we knew that sooner or later we would have chances to score. At the break we said not to give up until the final whistle, we were very focused and the coach allowed us to celebrate only with two seconds left. The history of Italian football is like this. Just think about the 1982 FIFA World Cup when Italy started with three draws and then became champions. When playing with the right fighting spirit and heart we can reach any objective.

Stefano Mammarella, Italy goalkeeper
It was huge. Climbing those stairs to receive the trophy after beating a team like Russia, who were considered as favourites by everybody, was just incredible. Only a great group can win a tournament like this. The first time I looked at the scoreboard there were only six seconds left. Time was never passing, but you know that a final is like that.

It's incredible. We were facing a very strong side tonight, but we had more troubles against Croatia and Portugal. Tonight we started at full speed and never gave up until the end. We really thrashed them and fully deserved to win.




Courtesy: UEFA.com


UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 in pictures

After 20 games with 121 goals watched by around 90,000 people in Antwerp, Italy won UEFA Futsal EURO 2014. UEFA.com has an exclusive photographic record.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Look back at the tournament in the gallery above produced by photographers Stephen McCarthy (Sportsfile/UEFA.com) and Tom Dulat (Getty Images).

CLICK HERE





Courtesy: UEFA.com


UEFA.com's pick of UEFA Futsal EURO 2014

From Italy's collective spirit to Russia's individual displays, Matija Capar's tearful Croatian heroics and Ricardinho magic: UEFA.com's reporting team pick their highlights.

Sunday 9 February 2014

by UEFA.com reporting team from Antwerp

Gonzalo Aguado: Champions abdicate in grace
It is not easy to choose a highlight from a Spanish point of view when a team used to lifting the trophy falls in the semi-finals. But it was precisely there, in defeat, that Spain proved to be true champions. Coach José Venancio López appeared in the media and congratulated Russia on their victory. He did not make any kind of excuse despite being severely hit by injuries in Antwerp. He only congratulated Russia and thanked his players for their efforts in the last month. We knew Spain were good in victory, but in defeat they are better.

Wayne Harrison: Capar flying and crying
It is not unusual for a flying goalkeeper to score in futsal – however, for one to do so in consecutive matches, from almost identical positions to snatch his team a 3-3 draw from the jaws of defeat, surely is. That is what Matija Capar did in Croatia's Group D fixtures against now deposed holders Spain and, two days later, the Czech Republic. Not bad for a player who has spent much of the last few years assuming his career was over due to injury, hence his tears after the Spain draw. "Today, the coach said I was not going to play flying goalkeeper, but [Dario] Marinović picked up an injury and I played," he told UEFA.com after the Czech game. "This was God's plan, I think!"

Mikhail Malkin: Russia make history
Ahead of the semi-finals, Spain had not lost to a European team in nine years, and leading 1-0 having dominated the first half, that record looked set to remain. However, Russia's mentality changed at the break; they fought like tigers and got 3-2 up only to concede a late equaliser, just as in the 2012 showpiece. This time, though, Russia continued their great Olympic spirit and scored the winner through Robinho 66 seconds before the end of extra time. Russia started to dance the Khorovod after the whistle, while Spain could not believe that they would miss the final for only the second time. "Sooner or later a defeat would arrive," admitted coach López.

Paolo Menicucci: Champions Azzurri united
From the rock-solid Stefano Mammarella in goal to the skilful Gabriel Lima, there were some individual pieces of brilliance from Italy as they won UEFA Futsal EURO 2014. The key for the Azzurri, however, was the collective effort of their entire squad, with 14 players making an important contribution during the tournament. When you have a goalkeeper of Mammarella's calibre ahead of you in the pecking order, it is not easy to make your mark, but Michele Miarelli did. After replacing the No1 just after he had made it 6-0 against Azerbaijan, Miarelli promptly scored himself. Had you ever seen two goalkeepers find the net in the same game? Not me.

Paul Saffer: Eder Lima – quantity and quality
Russia pivot Eder Lima was top scorer with nine 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup goals on his major finals debut, and completed a unique double with eight strikes on his way to winning the 2014 adidas Golden Shoe. The pick was undoubtedly the fourth of those goals; with Russia 4-3 down near the end of their group game with Portugal, Robinho's lofted cross was met by an acrobatic Eder Lima bicycle kick that secured first place in the section. Watch in our highlights reel of the group stage (around 01:37). His turn and shot to equalise in the final was not bad either, but of the Portugal strike Eder Lima said: "This goal was seen by the whole world, it was shown on every TV screen. I have never seen anything like this goal. Nobody has scored in such a way, even the legendary Brazilian Falcão."

Nuno Tavares: Ricardinho's magic against Italy
Eight may now be the number of times Italy have eliminated Portugal at a major tournament following their 4-3 win in the semi-finals, but that daunting statistic does not diminish what, in my opinion, was the best performance by an individual player at the finals. Ricardinho had already further boosted his stellar reputation in the group stages, against the Netherlands and Russia, before another inspiring display helped his team knock out Ukraine in the quarter-finals.

The best was yet to come, however, with his mesmerising talent and commitment giving hope to Portugal right until the last second of the Sportpaleis clash against Italy. Always one of the most exciting players to watch, his tournament-high five assists tell a different tale about the 28-year-old who once was labelled as nothing more than a 'showboater'.






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