Shakhtar star as Charleroi crash

Holders out
FC Shakhtar Donetsk, who had been eliminated at this stage three times, shocked Charleroi 4-1 in their opening match on Sunday. It was to prove the crucial result. With Shakhtar then beating hosts KMF Marbo Beograd a day later to book a semi-final slot, and Charleroi falling 5-3 to Dinamo Moskva, the Russian side who were defeated by the Belgian champions in last year's final effectively ended the holders' campaign a game early. Dinamo, who began by drawing with Beograd, subsequently overcame Shakhtar 1-0 to progress in first place.

Shakhtar thrilled
Still, the plaudits went to Shakhtar and the Ukrainians' coach, Oleg Solodovnyk, was thrilled. "Maybe it is a surprise, but only for others - not for me," he said, before adding: "I want to play Dinamo again, ASAP, say in the UEFA Futsal Cup final this season."

Dinamo avoid Boomerang
However, if Shakhtar are to reach the final they must win a two-legged semi-final against Spanish giants Boomerang Interviú, who are determined to reclaim the trophy they clinched in 2004, having won all three of their Group A matches in Lisbon. Dinamo ensured they would meet Kairat Almaty by overtaking Shakhtar on the final day.

Clean sheet
"We wanted to be first - we are the winners, that's the most important thing," Dinamo coach Viktor Papaev said. "I wanted victory because I did not want to play Boomerang in the semi-final. I noticed some problems with our team and we will work on that. But the concluding victory without conceding a goal was something special."

Charleroi changes
Charleroi did at least defeat Beograd 3-2 in their closing match, but it was little consolation. Since lifting the European title last April they have made a number of changes to their squad, reducing their reliance on Brazilian stars and bringing in several homegrown Belgian youngsters.

'Still young'
Coach Sergio Benatti was not happy with the performance of his players, but added in mitigation: "My team is still young and we must wait for better results. Club politics mean we now mix Belgian and Brazilian players, but we must remember their ages." One of the remaining Brazilians, Robinho, said: "We deserved a better position in the group, but we could not do anything more after the disappointing result in our first match."

Beograd proud
The other eliminated side are Beograd, but although they finished bottom of the group, they have much to be proud of. This was their best run in the competition, the draw against Dinamo showed they can mix it with Europe's finest, and crowds of more than 4,000 in the Palata Pionir proved the potential for Futsal in Serbia and Montenegro.

'Not losers'
Coach Goran Ivancić said: "I am very proud because we staged a tournament of the highest standard. We represented our club and our country on the European stage. Belgrade witnessed a real spectacle, and I am already dreaming of another one. I am satisfied with everything - what our players have done, our results, and what we showed to Europe." Captain Bojan Pavicević concluded: "We are fourth, but we are not losers. We have learned so much and we will be better next season."