Serbia secure place in Group A and will kick off EURO 2022 v Portugal

Serbia defeated Belarus to secure their place in the UEFA Futsal EURO 2022. The 2016 hosts will face the current holders of the competition, and the new world champions, Portugal.

Serbia earned the last place at UEFA Futsal EURO 2022 with home and away victories against Belarus in the play-off, winning the second leg in Belarus 3-2 to qualify 6-3 on aggregate.

Serbia were Portugal’s opponents in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Lithuania. Portugal won 4-3, in extra time. The Portuguese have won eight times against Serbia, losing only once in the Euro-2016 played in Belgrade in Group A.

At the European Championship, Serbia will also face the hosts Netherlands, and Ukraine, the first match kicks off on January 19th at Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, followed by the Netherland and Ukraine. Here are the groups for the competition:

Group Key facts:

Group A

Netherlands

• Were runners-up as hosts of the first Futsal World Cup in 1989.

Serbia

• 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

• Have got past the group stage then fallen in the quarter-finals in the last five editions.

Portugal

• 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

• Kairat Almaty, who supply much of the squad, were UEFA Futsal Cup winners in 2013 and 2015.

Italy

• 2018 was the first time Italy had not finished among the top eight.

Slovenia

• Were hosts in 2018.

Finland

• 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.
• Panu Autio scored his 100 international goal for his country this year and was nominated for a prestige sports award in Finland which was fantastic recognition and awareness for the sport

Group C

Russia

• Reached five out of seven finals from 2005 to 2016.

Poland

• Held Russia 1-1 in their opening group game in 2018, Michał Kubik equalising with nine seconds left.

Slovakia

• Previously reached the qualifying play-offs for the 2014 and 2016 finals.

Croatia

• A competition-record crowd of 14,300 watched their 2012 semi-final with Russia in Zagreb.

Group D

Georgia

•  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

• As well as their domination of Futsal EURO, Spain are Europe’s only two–time Futsal World Cup winners, in 2004 and 2008.

Azerbaijan

• Reached the semi-finals on debut in 2010 and have not failed to qualify since

Bosnia & Herzegovina

• Have reached their first major futsal final tournament.

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