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Castellón pip Charleroi again

The second UEFA Futsal Cup was played with a different format to the first, with the eight-team final tournament replaced by a two-legged decider, but the result was the same with Playas de Castellón FS beating Action 21 Charleroi to the title.

Castellón lift the trophy
Castellón lift the trophy ©UEFA.com

The second UEFA Futsal Cup was played with a different format to the first, with the eight-team final tournament replaced by a two-legged decider, but the result was the same with Playas de Castellón FS beating Action 21 Charleroi to the title.

Thirty teams, up from 27, entered the competition and both Castellón and Charleroi started at a rate of knots; the Spanish side's results included a 22-1 win against Andorra's UE Santa Coloma while Action 21 beat Albania's KS Flamurtari 27-1. Both moved safely through to the second qualifying round along with new Spanish champions Boomerang Interviú – the three sides who between them, were to win the first five editions of the UEFA Futsal Cup.

Charleroi staged second qualifying round Group A, competing with Interviú, their 201/002 semi-final victims MNK Split and Russia's MFK Norilsky Nikel for a place in the final. Boomerang began with a spectacular 13-1 defeat of Split while Charleroi beat Norilsky 7-4. The Russian side bounced back to beat Split 4-3 and it seemed Interviú were going through when they beat Charleroi 8-5 and then Norilsky. However Interviú fielded an ineligible player in that match and were given a 3-0 forfeit, meaning Charleroi's 4-0 win against Split took them into another final.

Again they were to meet Castellón. A 6-2 win against KMF Niš of Serbia and Montenegro set the Spanish side on their way and they followed it up by beating FC Shakhtar Donetsk 5-4, though their 4-1 half-time lead disappeared before Josema's late winner. Italy's Prato C/5 overcame Shakhtar 4-1 and drew 3-3 with Niš but were six down in 29 minutes against Castellón, who won 6-2 with four Josema goals while Shakhtar beat Niš 4-2 for third place.

Vander Carioca put Castellón ahead 26 minutes into the first leg of the final but Charleroi, at home, levelled through Mohamed Boukamir to set up an exciting return in Spain. Alemão gave Castellón a fifth-minute lead and Javi Sánchez swiftly added two more goals, but Leo and Lúcio Rosa pegged it back to 3-2 at the break. Charleroi were now close to taking the lead on away goals, but Josema and Vander Carioca restored Castellón's cushion and although André Vanderlei struck on 30 and 34 minutes, Alemão's late effort secured a 6-4 aggregate triumph for the holders.