Futsal Champions League elite round draw
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The draw has split 16 teams into four groups.
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The UEFA Futsal Champions League elite round draw split the 16 contenders from the main round into four groups.
Elite round groups (19 to 24 November)
Group A: KPRF (RUS, hosts), Dobovec (SVN), Mostar SG (BIH), Halle-Gooik (BEL)
Group B: Sporting CP (POR, holders), Tyumen (RUS, hosts), Ayat (KAZ), Novo Vrijeme (CRO)
Group C: Benfica (POR), Murcia FS (ESP), Pesaro (ITA), Kairat Almaty (KAZ, hosts)
Group D: Barça (ESP), Kherson (UKR), Sparta Praha (CZE), Stalitsa Minsk (BLR, hosts)
Draw guide
- Holders Sporting are joined by former winners Kairat, Barça and Benfica, plus 2008 runners-up Murcia (who are in a group with Kairat and Benfica)
- Barça were captained to the first of their two titles in 2012 by Javi Rodriguez, now the coach of their opponents Kherson (two years ago his Győr side lost to the Blaugrana in the third-place play-off)
- Kairat have now been ever-present in all 14 seasons since the elite round was introduced; they have got through a record eight times
- Currently in their debut season: Ayat, KPRF, Pesaro, Sparta Praha, Tyumen
- Pesaro are the eighth different Italian club to play in the elite round, one more than Russia (for whom KPRF and Tyumen are the sixth and seventh)
- Mostar are the first Bosnian team to reach the elite round since Tango Sarajevo in 2013/14
Road to the finals
- The four group winners will progress to the knockout finals, at a venue to be confirmed, scheduled for 23 or 24 and 25 or 26 April
How the draw worked
- Teams were split into three seeding tiers: Main round Path A winners (position 1, 4 teams, Pot 4), Main round Path A runners-up (position 2, 4 teams, Pot 3) and Main round path A third place and path B group winners (positions 3 and 4, 8 teams, Pot 2).
- No main round group winners could face the runners-up in their group.
- There was no country protection.
- Based on a decision by the Executive Committee, Ukrainian and Russian clubs cannot be drawn in the same group.
- Seven potential mini-tournament hosts were placed in Pot 1, while maintaining their seeding. The first four drawn will host the respective groups. The remaining three clubs were drawn and assigned to available positioins in groups.
- The teams in Pot 2 were drawn next, filling the remaining position 4 spots before filling position 3
- Pots 3 (position 2) and 4 (position 1) were then drawn, filling the remaining available slots in the groups.
Pots
Pot 1 (potential hosts)
Sporting CP (POR, holders) – seeding position 1 (main round Group 1)
Benfica (POR) – seeding position 1 (main round Group 2)
KPRF (RUS) – seeding position 1 (main round Group 4)
Tyumen (RUS) – seeding position 2 (main round Group 3)
Murcia FS (ESP) – seeding position 2 (main round Group 4)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) – seeding position 4
Stalitsa Minsk (BLR) – seeding position 4
Pot 2 (Path A group third place and Path B group winners: Positions 4 and 3)
Mostar SG (BIH)
Halle-Gooik (BEL)
Ayat (KAZ)
Sparta Praha (CZE)
Novo Vrijeme (CRO)
Pesaro (ITA)
Pot 3 (Path A group runners-up: Position 2)
Dobovec (SVN) – main round Group 1
Kherson (UKR) – main round Group 2
Pot 4 (Path A group winners: Position 1)
Barça (ESP) – main round Group 3