Meet the Futsal EURO finalists
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
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See the contenders in each group at the Netherlands finals from 19 January to 6 February 2022.
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UEFA Futsal EURO 2022 is the first tournament since the competition changed from a biennial 12-team event to a 16-nation finals played every four years.
Serbia completed the finals line-up with their victory against Belarus in November's play-off, joining the hosts Netherlands and the 14 teams that progressed via the qualifying group stage: meet the contenders.
The groups
Group A: Netherlands (hosts), Serbia, Ukraine, Portugal (holders)
Group B: Kazakhstan, Italy, Slovenia, Finland
Group C: Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia
Group D: Georgia, Spain, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina
GROUP A
NETHERLANDS (HOSTS)
How they qualified: Hosts
Futsal EURO best: Fourth place (1999)
Futsal EURO 2018: Did not qualify
Key fact: Were runners-up as hosts of the first Futsal World Cup in 1989.
SERBIA
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 4 runners-up, Play-off (W6-1agg vs Belarus)
Futsal EURO best: Fourth place (2016)
Futsal EURO 2018: Quarter-finals
2021 World Cup: Round of 16
Key fact: As hosts in 2016, all five of their games sold out the 11,161-capacity Arena Belgrade, with a total competition attendance of 113,820.
UKRAINE
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 1 runners-up
Futsal EURO best: Runners-up (2001, 2003)
Futsal EURO 2018: Quarter-finals
Key fact: Have got past the group stage then fallen in the quarter-finals in the last five editions.
PORTUGAL (HOLDERS)
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 8 winners
Futsal EURO best: Winners (2018)
Futsal EURO 2018: Winners
2021 World Cup: Winners
Key fact: Beat Spain in extra time to win their first title in Ljubljana and added a first Word Cup title in Lithuania in October 2021.
GROUP B
KAZAKHSTAN
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 5 winners
Futsal EURO best: Third place (2016)
Futsal EURO 2018: Fourth place
2021 World Cup: Fourth place
Key fact: Kairat Almaty, who supply much of the squad, were UEFA Futsal Cup winners in 2013 and 2015.
ITALY
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 7 winners
Futsal EURO best: Winners (2003, 2014)
Futsal EURO 2018: Group stage
Key fact: 2018 was the first time Italy had not finished among the top eight.
SLOVENIA
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 6 runners-up
Futsal EURO best: Quarter-finals
Futsal EURO 2018: Quarter-finals
Key fact: Were hosts in 2018.
FINLAND
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 7 runners-up
Futsal EURO best: Never previously qualified
Futsal EURO 2018: Did not qualify
Key fact: Coached since 2013 by Mićo Martić and have ended a series of narrow qualifying near-misses, including a 6-5 aggregate loss to Serbia in a Futsal World Cup play-off late last year.
GROUP C
RUSSIA
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 2 winners
Futsal EURO best: Winners (1999)
Futsal EURO 2018: Third place
2021 World Cup: Quarter-finals
Key fact: Reached five out of seven finals from 2005 to 2016.
POLAND
How they qualified: Qualifying round Group C winners, Qualifying group stage Group 8 runners-up
Futsal EURO best: Group stage (2001, 2018)
Futsal EURO 2018: Group stage
Key fact: Held Russia 1-1 in their opening group game in 2018, Michał Kubik equalising with nine seconds left.
SLOVAKIA
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 3 runners-up
Futsal EURO best: Never qualified
Futsal EURO 2018: Did not qualify
Key fact: Previously reached the qualifying play-offs for the 2014 and 2016 finals.
CROATIA
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 1 winners
Futsal EURO best: Fourth place (2012)
Futsal EURO 2018: Did not qualify
Key fact: A competition-record crowd of 14,300 watched their 2012 semi-final with Russia in Zagreb.
GROUP D
GEORGIA
How they qualified: Qualifying round Group F winners, Qualifying group stage Group 2 runners-up
Futsal EURO best: Never previously qualified
Futsal EURO 2018: Did not qualify
Key fact: Reached qualifying play-offs for the first time in the 2018 edition but were pipped by Romania despite a 2-2 first-leg away draw.
SPAIN
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 6 winners
Futsal EURO best: Winners (1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016)
Futsal EURO 2018: Runners-up
2021 World Cup: Quarter-finals
Key fact: As well as their domination of Futsal EURO, Spain are Europe's only two--time Futsal World Cup winners, in 2004 and 2008.
AZERBAIJAN
How they qualified: Qualifying group stage Group 3 winners
Futsal EURO best: Fourth place (2010)
Futsal EURO 2018: Quarter-finals
Key fact: Reached the semi-finals on debut in 2010 and have not failed to qualify since.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
How they qualified: Qualifying round Group A winners, Qualifying group stage Group 4 winners
Futsal EURO best: Never qualified
Futsal EURO 2018: Did not qualify
Key fact: Have reached their first major futsal final tournament.