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The Ugra Yugorsk lowdown from Ivan Signev

With Ugra Yugorsk having won the UEFA Futsal Cup on debut, Ivan Signev reveals who is their most competitive player, and the one you "only have to look at" to start laughing.

Ivan Signev celebrates Ugra's semi-final defeat of Benfica
Ivan Signev celebrates Ugra's semi-final defeat of Benfica ©Sportsfile

If Europe did not know Ugra Yugorsk before this week, it knows them now.

On debut, the Russian champions won the UEFA Futsal Cup final 4-3 against hosts Inter FS, but who is this team from central Russia? Ivan Signev, who headed a goal in their semi-final defeat of Benfica, clinched by Robinho in a penalty shoot-out, explains ...

How did it feel to reach the final?

"Before the final penalty, I was standing with Daniil Davydov and he was looking really nervous, so I said 'Don't worry, Rob is going to score this, and I'm going to be the first person to hug him!'"

Headed goal against Benfica ...

"I'd agreed with Robinho that if he could get it [the corner] over the defender that I'd get into the box and head it in, and he put right where I wanted it. After I headed it, first I checked that it had actually gone in, then it was just a moment of sheer happiness!"

Best trainer?

"Kakata! He's a defender and he doesn't like to lose a single challenge or a single 50-50! He's very disciplined; he always knows exactly what he has to do and he hates losing – at anything!"

Biggest joker?

"Robinho is the guy who makes the most jokes, who's the most chatty, but the funniest is Zviad Kupatadze. You only have to look at him and you start laughing!"

Best dressed?

"I'd said Robinho and Caio are the most stylish in our team! And it's not that they always wear designer clothes or anything like that – it's the fact that they just seem to know what looks good."

Team motto?

"We're a team that never stops learning about futsal, one that's always able to adapt to the opponent they're playing. We study the opposition, see how we might need to adapt and think how to put that into practice on the pitch.