Futsal contenders set sail for Porto

The leading contenders for the 2007 UEFA European Futsal Championship enter the fray this week as the qualifying round begins with seven places in the 16-25 November finals alongside hosts Portugal up for grabs.

Spain aim
World and European champions Spain will be hoping to hold on to the title they won in February 2005 in Ostrava, and they stage Group C in Pinto near Madrid, taking on F.Y.R. Macedonia, Cyprus and Poland. The team Spain beat in the 2005 final, Russia, are in action in the first pool to begin, Group F in Dabas. The round’s opening game on Tuesday matches Greece with mini-tournament hosts Hungary, who reached the finals in 2005 and are in the only group to contain two teams to have competed in the Czech Republic.

Italian bid
Italy, who were deposed as champions in the semi-finals two years ago, are staging Group A in Martina Franca from Friday, taking on France, Belarus and competition debutants Turkey - one of five teams to go through from the preliminary round along with Cyprus, Finland, Romania and Kazakhstan. Ukraine, who also made the last four in 2005, are in Andorra for the final pool to begin, Group B, where Israel and Slovakia also provide opposition from 26 February to 1 March.

Czech test
On Thursday, the Czechs will aim to reach the finals again but are in a competitive Group E in Split featuring the always-dangerous Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina plus Kazakhstan, who won all three of their preliminary round games. Romania matched that feat and begin the same day Group G against hosts Slovenia, Belgium and Moldova in the only pool not to feature any qualifiers from 2005. The Netherlands pipped Belgium to make those finals, now they welcome Azerbaijan, Serbia and Finland to Geleen for Group D.