Courtesy: UEFA.com


UEFA Futsal Cup elite round hosts confirmed

Nacional Zagreb, Sporting CP, Kairat Almaty and Brezje Maribor have been selected as the four hosts for next month's elite round with the draw streamed live at 13:30CEST on Friday.


Tuesday 18 October 2016

Nacional Zagreb, Sporting CP, Kairat Almaty and Brezje Maribor have been selected as the four hosts for next month's UEFA Futsal Cup elite round, with the draw streamed live at 13:30CEST on Friday.

There are three seeding tiers: the four top-ranked clubs given byes to this stage, the six main round group winners and the six runners-up.

Four groups will be formed: two with one top seed, two group winners and one runner-up; two with one top seed, one group winner and two runners-up.

No teams can play a side from their main round group, with other restrictions to be announced ahead of the draw.

Nacional, Sporting, Kairat and Brezje are pre-designated as hosts and drawn from a separate pot while retaining their respective seedings. Other restrictions will be announced ahead of the draw.
Matches to be held 22 to 27 November, with the group winners progressing to April's knockout finals.

Seeding groups (*hosts)

Top seeds: Ugra Yugorsk (RUS, holders), Kairat Almaty (KAZ)*, Inter FS (ESP), FC Dynamo (RUS)

Main round group winners: Győri ETO (Group 1, HUN), Araz Naxçıvan (2, AZE), Nikars Riga (3, LVA), Ekonomac Kragujevac (4, SRB), Sporting CP (5, POR)*, EP Chrudim (6, CZE)

Main round group runners-up: Brezje Maribor (1, SVN)*, FC Feniks (2, KOS), Hamburg Panthers (3, GER), Nacional Zagreb (4, CRO)*, Real Rieti (5, ITA), City'US Târgu Mureş (6, ROU)

Elite round guide

- Debutants going through: Brezje, Feniks and Rieti.
- Feniks are the first Kosovan team to enter this competition.
- Survivors from preliminary round: Brezje, Feniks and Hamburg.
- Hamburg are the first German side to make the elite round, having got a last-second winner against IFK Göteborg, who would have been the first Swedish side ...
- Chrudim have advanced through the main round ten seasons in a row.
- All four top seeds have previously won this competition while Sporting were runners-up in 2011.


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