Futsal rivals set for 'great spectacle'

Hosts Portugal and 2003 winners Italy have the honour of launching the 2007 UEFA European Futsal Championship finals on Friday in Porto and home coach Orlando Duarte declared: "If we show our quality, we will be the team to beat."

Italian challenge
With debutants Romania and 2005 hosts the Czech Republic also in Group A, it will be important for Portugal not to repeat their 8-3 reverse against Italy at this stage two years ago, and they be urged on by a likely sell-out crowd at the Multiusos Gondomar Coração de Ouro. "Italy have a great squad and both Romania and the Czech Republic are teams on the rise," Duarte said. "Each game will be given our full concentration."

Not decisive
Still, defeat against the Azzurri would not be fatal for Portugal's hopes, Duarte emphasised. "Our championship begins on 16 November; it doesn't end there. The match against Italy will be a clash between two very strong teams and I hope it will be a great spectacle with a sold-out venue. To play home or away has always been the same for me in the past 20 years, so I don't think that will decide our fate."

Trio fit
Italy coach Alessandro Nuccorini, who masterminded their 2003 triumph on home territory, has a pre-game boost with key trio Sandro Zanetti, Vinicius Bacaro and Carlos Mantovanelli being passed fit for the tournament – the Azzurri squad was only cut to the maximum 14 on Thursday's deadline. Bacaro will still sit out the first game, but Nuccorini is typically ebullient. "I truly believe this is going to be a spectacular tournament," he said. "All eight teams are very strong and in recent times we have seen an improvement in how the competition is organised. The venues are outstanding and I'm sure there will be a lot of emotion in every single game."

'Perfect' opener
Nuccorini is more than happy to be opening against the hosts. "Portugal have a great side and all they lack is a famous victory," he said. "The match against them is not going to be decisive so there's no great pressure. I think it's the perfect way to start our campaign." Portuguese will be the lingua franca on the pitch as Italy boast a number of Brazilian-born players, something Nuccorini has always encouraged. "It's very good to coach so many players born in Brazil," he added. "I've learned a lot about futsal from them because they have a lot of quality and experience."