Driving Futsal forward

By Kevin Ashby

Futsal has never been stronger in Europe. The third UEFA European Futsal Championship for national teams is taking place in February, the second edition of the UEFA Futsal Cup for club sides follows in the spring and, last November, the first UEFA Conference for Futsal took place.

Exciting sport
At the centre of these developments is Petr Fousek, the chairman of the UEFA Futsal committee and a passionate believer in the game as a fast, exciting and skilful sport to complement football. Millions of fans across Europe already agree and the signs are that many more will follow.

Widespread support
The conference in Coverciano, Italy, on 26-28 November was proof of the sport's great progress. Although only 29 countries are able at the moment to compete on an international level, as demonstrated by the entrants to qualifying for the 2003 UEFA European Futsal Championship, there was widespread support for the conference from virtually all of UEFA's member associations.

uefa.com: Was the inaugural UEFA Futsal Cup [won by Playas de Castellón last year] a success?

Petr Fousek: Of course it was a success because it was a breakthrough in Futsal's development. When we started promoting Futsal within UEFA, after the UEFA European Futsal Championship [for national teams] this was the second important event. It was expected for many years in Europe and the first event confirmed the growing interest.

uefa.com: Will the competition help raise the profile and standards of Futsal?

Fousek: I think that Futsal can be considered in Europe as one of the most rapidly growing indoor sports, fulfilling completely its role in the football branch as a smaller brother. It is developing every year.

uefa.com: What are UEFA and the national associations doing to promote the game?

Fousek: I have to express thanks to the UEFA Executive committee for supporting the UEFA Futsal Cup. Every new event needs, in the very beginning, the support to have a chance to develop or 'to put away the baby's illnesses'. Then the baby will grow and it will be able to find good revenues and marketing. As for the national associations, we have 30 clubs in the UEFA Futsal Cup, so we are searching for less than half of Europe. But we know that Futsal exists in many countries but they are not yet in a position to compete. But they have Futsal and it is growing, for example in Britain, Germany and Austria and they will be able to compete in future.

uefa.com: What in your eyes makes a good Futsal player? Is it the same qualities as an eleven-a-side player?

Fousek: You need players who are very skilful technically. They tend to be small, very fast with good periphial vision and able to shoot and combine well. It is a different type of player.

uefa.com: What does your job as committee chairman involve?

Fousek: I am happy that UEFA has trusted me in this role for the next two years. My role is to co-ordinate the committee and to bring up ideas in meetings, which will help and serve the chief executive officer of UEFA, and to administrate and develop Futsal.

uefa.com: What does the future of Futsal hold?

Fousek: I can't say anything else because iIt comes from my heart. The future is very bright because Futsal has a lot of things to offer to spectators, to the media and to sponsors. It is a very attractive game, featuring lots of goals, skilful and technical play and brilliant combinations.