Close contests predicted in main round

The UEFA Futsal Cup main round kicks off on Tuesday with three-time winners Inter FS and high-profile newcomers ISK Dina Moskva among the 16 teams starting their campaigns alongside the eight preliminary round group winners.

• The top two sides in each of the six one-venue mini-tournaments will advance to the elite round. UEFA.com previews the groups.

The groups
(*hosts)
Group 1 (30 September–3 October): FK EP Chrudim (CZE)*, Sporting Club de Paris (FRA),  FC Stalitsa Minsk (BLR), KMF Zelezarec Skopje (MKD)

•  Hosts Chrudim have progressed from the main round in all eight of their consecutive entries; debutants Stalitsa and Zelezarec both came through the preliminary round.

Group 2 (2–5 October): Iberia Star Tbilisi (GEO), FK Nikars Riga (LVA)*, FC Grand Pro Varna (BUL), Rekord Bielsko-Biała (POL)

Iberia Star staged the 2013 finals©Sportsfile

• Iberia have entered all 14 editions and hosted the 2013 finals; Varna and debutants Rekord advanced from the preliminary round.

Group 3 (2–5 October): ISK Dina Moskva (RUS)*, Futsal Team Charleroi (BEL), FC Deva (ROU), MNK Alumnus Zagreb (CRO)

• Dina, the dominant Russian team in the 1990s, are making their debut in this competiton; Charleroi are formed from Futsal Châtelineau; Alumnus are debutants.

Group 4 (2-5 October): Inter FS (ESP), FC Lokomotiv Kharkiv (UKR), KMN Kobarid (SVN)*, Hovocubo (NED)

Three-time winners Inter©Interviú Madrid

• Inter are the only three-time winners of this competition; debutants Hovocubo went through the preliminaries with a goal five seconds from the end against Eden Futsal of Dublin.

Group 5 (1-4 October): KMF Ekonomac Kragujevac (SRB)*, Luparense C/5 (ITA), Athina '90 (GRE), Baku United FC (ENG)

• Luparense reached the 2010 semi-finals; London's Baku had the best record in the preliminary round.

Group 6 (2-5 October): Slov-Matic Bratislava (SVK), MVFC Berettjóújfalu (HUN)*, Vegakameratene (NOR), FC APOEL Nicosia (CYP)

• Bratislava have got to the elite round six times; APOEL made it through the preliminary round on their first entry.

APOEL won through on their debut©apoel.com.cy

Road to the finals

• The top two in each group go into the elite round draw on 17 October, joined by the top four seeds – holders FC Barcelona, 2013 victors Kairat Almaty, last season's finals hosts Araz Naxçivan and 2011 runners-up Sporting Clube de Portugal.

• In the elite round draw the 16 clubs will be drawn into four groups staged between 18 and 23 November.

• The winners of the four groups proceed to the final tournament in late April with the hosts picked from among the qualifiers.