Costa awaits Benfica destiny

SL Benfica captain Pedro Costa believes now is the time for O Glorioso to prove they deserve their place among the elite of the Futsal world as the hosts look to win their first UEFA Futsal Cup at the expense of holders Interviú Madrid.

Spurred on by a passionate home crowd at Lisbon's Pavilhão Atlántico on Friday, the Eagles swept past Luparense C/5 to set up a repeat of the 2004 final in which the Spanish side triumphed over two legs. This time the teams will meet just once to decide the winners and Costa is determined not to let the moment slip by.

"Many of us are reaching a decisive moment in our careers and we want to prove we are a top team on a world and European level," the 31-year-old defender told UEFA.com. "We have much more experience now and we are eager to win; just taking part in finals doesn't interest us anymore."

Along with coach André Lima, Costa played for Benfica during that 2004 final which the Portuguese side lost despite enjoying a second-leg home victory. Playing as hosts in the final phase of this season's tournament the Portugal international believes is the inspiration his team needs to lift the trophy.

"We don't know when we will have another opportunity like this so we absolutely must play well and win," Costa said. "We are a team that plays free-flowing futsal and we have players who can decide a game in any given moment. It's going to be a balanced match with Interviú but we will look to help each other out on the pitch and to unbalance our opponents."