All set for Futsal final

The countdown has begun to the 2003 UEFA Futsal Cup final between Spanish side Playas de Castellón and Belgian club Action 21 Charleroi.

Final repeat
The two-legged tie is a repeat of last year's final, which Castellón won 5-1 in a one-off match to lift the trophy. Both teams progressed to the final again after coming through mini-tournaments in a strong second qualifying round.

Return in Spain
The first leg will be played on Wednesday at the Stade de la Garenne in Charleroi, with the kick-off at 20.30CET. The return will take place at the Pabellón Ciudad de Castellón on Saturday 3 May, with a kick-off at 16.00CET.

Both sides confident
"This year we are all hoping we can go one better than our performance last year," said Ricardo Menezes Da Silva, the Charleroi coach. "We hope we can prove that we are capable of getting a result on the pitch." Isco, one of Castellón's key players, believed his side had what it takes to win the title again. "We have a very good team spirit which is fundamental," he said.  

Club contenders
This year's edition, which began with 30 teams from 29 nations, follows the inaugural Futsal Cup held as a finals tournament in Lisbon, Portugal last year. The competition is open to club teams across Europe and has followed in the footsteps of the successful UEFA European Futsal Championship for national teams, the third official staging of which was recently won by hosts Italy.