Meet the UEFA Futsal Cup finalists
Monday, November 16, 2015
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Former winners Inter and Benfica are joined by competition debutants Pescara and Ugra Yugorsk in April's UEFA Futsal Cup finals; we introduce the four teams.
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• The knockout finals will take place in late April
• For the first time none of the previous season's four finalists have qualified again
• One of the four finalists will be selected to stage the event and host the draw
Benfica (POR)
Finals appearances since 2007: 2 (2010, 2011)
Best performance: winners 2010
Preliminary round: bye
Main round: Centar Sarajevo 8-2, Grand Pro Varna 9-2, Dobovec 6-1 (Group 2 winners)
Elite round: Ekonomac Kragujavec 3-0, Slov-Matic Bratislava 4-5, Lokomotiv Kharkiv 2-0 (Group D winners)
Top scorer: Alessandro Patias 9
Key players: Juanjo, Bruno Coelho, Alessandro Patias
• Benfica reached the final on debut in 2004 but lost 7-5 on aggregate to Inter. They had revenge at the same stage in 2010 when they defeated Inter 3-2 after extra time in Lisbon; since then Ricardinho has left Benfica and is now with the Spanish champions.
Inter FS (ESP)
Finals appearances since 2007: 3 (2007, 2009, 2010)
Best performance: winners 2004, 2006, 2009
Preliminary round: bye
Main round: bye
Elite round: Dobovec 8-0, Kremlin Bicêtre United 10-2. Lidselmash Lida 4-2 (Group A winners)
Top scorer: Cardinal 6
Key players: Ortiz, Ricardinho, Cardinal
• The only three-time winners, Inter lost in the last minute of the decider to FC Dynamo in the first modern four-team finals of 2007. They have since made two finals, winning in 2009 but losing to Benfica a year later, and their record tally of five has since been overtaken by Dynamo. Barcelona have represented Spain in the last four final tournaments but Inter are now back after an elite-round exit to Sporting CP last season.
Pescara (ITA)
Finals appearances since 2007: debut season
Best performance: debut season
Preliminary round: St Andrews 9-0, Gentofte 3-0, Encamp 6-0 (Group B winners)
Main round: City'US Târgu Mureş 8-3, Lokomotiv Kharkiv 5-1, Hamburg Panthers 11-0 (Group 3 winners)
Elite round: Zelezarec Skopje 2-0, Halle-Gooik 4-2, Tulpar Karagandy 4-0 (Group B winners)
Top scorer: Rogerio Da Silva 10
Key players: Rogerio Da Silva, Mauro Canal, Marco Ercolessi
• On their European bow, Pescara have stormed through, winning all three of their groups with a game to spare and becoming the first team since the current format was introduced to reach the finals from the preliminary round. But they are not short of experience as Fabricio Calderolli, Leandro Cuzzolino and Rogerio Da Silva were all in the Montesilvano squad that won Italy's sole UEFA Futsal Cup title on debut in 2011.
Ugra Yugorsk (RUS)
Finals appearances since 2007: debut season
Best performance: debut season
Preliminary round: bye
Main round: Kremlin Bicêtre United 5-0, APOEL 4-3, Georgians Tbilisi 3-0 (Group 1 winners)
Elite round: Kairat Almaty 5-2, EP Chrudim 4-1, Győr 5-4 (Group C winners)
Top scorer: Eder Lima 13
Key players: Vladislav Shayakhmetov, Robinho, Eder Lima
• The team from the central Russian city claimed their first league title last summer with victory against former UEFA Futsal Cup winners FC Dynamo to earn a European debut. Their impressive 5-2 defeat of holders Kairat Almaty in their first elite round game was key to their perfect qualification, in which they scored 44 goals. Eder Lima got 13 and leads the way as competition top scorer, just as the Russian international did at UEFA Futsal EURO 2014.