A futsal masterclass in Moldova

Recognising the role that futsal can play in the development of football in the country, the Moldovan Football Federation (FMF) is reinforcing its youth development framework through a series of futsal education initiatives delivered in cooperation with UEFA lecturer and futsal expert Raoni Medina.

Medina, former captain of the England futsal team and a graduate of the UEFA Academy's Master for International Players (MIP), supported the federation throughout the initiative by moderating seminars and leading training sessions.

To kick off the initiative, the FMF invited Medina to deliver a seminar in October, titled 'Futsal – a tool for the development of youth football'. During the seminar, Medina shared how futsal can support technical proficiency, tactical awareness and decision-making in young players, while strengthening the connection between futsal and the 11-a-side game.

Subsequently the project collaborated with the FMF's Football in Schools programme with the launch of the Football in Schools Futsal League. This inaugural edition is aimed at encouraging participation in futsal among children, with a final tournament set to take place in February at the FMF Futsal Arena in Ciorescu.

"This is more than a project," said Medina. "What we're trying to do here for the federation is create a legacy. That means when I'm not here, that this will keep going."

Developing the next generation of footballers

In December, the FMF held a three-day camp led by Medina, with the UEFA lecturer presenting a fresh seminar to teachers and coaches from around the country as well as practical sessions with some locals.

Medina's session involved teaching young players from local clubs

One training session was held at FC Chisinau's stadium with some of the club's youth players taking part. The focus was on technical and tactical elements, Medina highlighting how these skills can be transferred to football.

"Twenty years ago, futsal maybe wasn't that relevant to football," explained Medina. "But with the evolution of the game, futsal has now become relevant to develop a modern football player."

This initiative reinforces the FMF's wider strategy to both support the growth of all forms of football in the country and to demonstrate the benefit that futsal can have in the development of football players.