UEFA Futsal Champions League Elite Round: High-Stakes Battles Await in Host Cities

Top European teams clash from November 26 to December 1 in a four-city showdown, each aiming for a coveted spot in the May finals

The UEFA Futsal Champions League elite round, running from November 26 to December 1, 2024, features 16 teams across four host cities—Cartagena, Palma, Zagreb, and Lisbon—competing for a place in the knockout finals in May 2025. Organized as single-venue mini-tournaments, each group’s winner will secure the sole qualifying spot for the finals, with only one team per group advancing.

Host Advantages for Cartagena and Palma: The draw was favourable to Cartagena Costa Cálida and Illes Balears Palma Futsal, who gained home-court advantage and avoided powerhouses like Portugal’s Sporting CP, Sporting Braga, and Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty.

Elite Round Groups:

Group A (hosted in Cartagena) includes the Spanish hosts Cartagena Costa Cálida, Riga Futsal Club from Latvia, United Galati from Romania, and Catania Calcio a 5 from Italy. Cartagena, making their European debut, holds a strong chance to secure the finals with the home advantage. Riga, who also competed for the hosting slot, is determined to be the first Latvian team to reach the finals. Italy’s Catania advanced from the preliminary round, and United Galati’s experience under coach Cacau, a previous title-winning coach with Kairat Almaty, makes them strong competitors.

Group D (in Palma, Spain) features Illes Balears Palma Futsal, Slovakia’s Lučenec, Kazakhstan’s Semey, and Poland’s Record Bielsko-Biała. Palma, the reigning champions, remains undefeated in European matches and has a clear home advantage. Record Bielsko-Biała, returning from their 2018/19 elite round appearance, aims to become the first Polish team in the finals, while debutants Lučenec and Semey look to make their mark.

Group B (in Zagreb, Croatia) brings together MNK Dinamo and MNK Olmissum from Croatia, Étoile Lavalloise from France, and the formidable Kairat Almaty from Kazakhstan. Dinamo, the Croatian league champions in 2023, are making their debut in the elite round and will play in their home arena, where the Dinamo ultras will be present, adding a lively and supportive atmosphere. Their path to the elite round involved two draws against Dobovec and Galati and a challenging 1-9 loss to Palma, demonstrating the group’s high caliber.

Étoile Lavalloise, after hosting the main round, expressed enthusiasm despite facing a challenging line-up in the east of Europe. Stelliste pivot Abdessamad Mohammed described Kairat Almaty as the group favourites, emphasizing their storied record, with over 100 Champions League matches and two previous titles (2013, 2015). Notably, Kairat defeated Sporting CP 3-2 in the main round, showcasing their strong form this season. Kairat’s roster includes seasoned Brazilian players and new recruit Arrieta, the Argentinian star who previously eliminated France from the World Cup. Meanwhile, Olmissum, who finished second to Braga with a 2-2 draw, has shown consistency in their second elite round appearance, having been Croatian champions in 2020 and 2021.

Group C (hosted in Lisbon) promises intense competition as Sporting CP and Sporting Braga face each other, ensuring that only one Portuguese team can advance to the finals. The group, taking place at Sporting CP’s Pavilhão João Rocha, also includes Sporting Anderlecht from Belgium and SK Plzeň from the Czech Republic. Sporting CP’s coach, Nuno Dias, acknowledged the difficulty of the draw, as Group C contains high-ranking teams: Sporting CP (first in UEFA rankings), Braga (fourth), Anderlecht (fifth), and Plzeň (ninth). Dias noted Braga’s strength, as they previously defeated Plzeň 4-1 in the main round and posed a challenge by drawing against Olmissum.

Dias remarked that Sporting Anderlecht, a familiar rival, has bolstered its squad with 11 foreign players, including internationals from various nations. Though Anderlecht struggled in the main round, finishing third, they showcased their potential by defeating Sporting CP 4-2 in a preseason friendly. Sporting’s home advantage at Pavilhão João Rocha could be crucial in this closely contested group, though the fact that either Sporting CP or Braga will be eliminated adds extra tension.

This year’s elite round, with its critical home advantages, high-profile rivalries, and intense matchups, is set to deliver thrilling futsal action as teams vie for the coveted UEFA Futsal Champions League finals in May.

Organ Donation

Futsal Focus is a supporter of Dáithí Mac Gabhann and his family’s campaign to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We encourage our readers to learn more about Organ Donation: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

Futsal Focus

You can read more articles about domestic futsal by going to the top navigation bar or by clicking here

If you like this article and would like to keep updated on Futsal news, developments, etc then you can now follow Futsal Focus via Google News by following our page which will send you an alert as soon as we publish an article so please click here and follow us on Google.

You can also keep updated on Futsal news, developments, etc then please submit your email below in the Subscribe to Futsal Focus option.

Follow Futsal Focus by clicking on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or on the social media buttons on the website