New faces Feniks among preliminary round winners
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Article summary
Kosovan debutants FC Feniks have reached the UEFA Futsal Cup main round along with APOEL, Athina '90, Hamburg, Centar Sarajevo, Göteberg, Tbilisi State University and Maribor.
Article top media content
Article body
APOEL Nicosia, Athina '90, Hamburg Panthers, Centar Sarajevo, IFK Göteberg, Tbilisi State University, Brezje Maribor and FC Feniks have all won their UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round groups to book their places in October's main round.
Kosovan side Feniks made the biggest splash as they progressed on their competition debut, the only club from among 12 new faces to survive the initial round. They also hold the distinction of being the first team from Kosovo to compete in any UEFA tournament.
The main round draw has already been made, with Centar Sarajevo given the task of playing, among others, former runners-up Sporting CP, while Feniks and Tbilisi State University will both take on past bronze-medallists Araz Naxçıvan.
Preliminary round group winners
Group A: APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Group B: Athina '90 (GRE)
Group C: Hamburg Panthers (GER)
Group D: Centar Sarajevo (BIH)
Group E: IFK Göteberg (SWE)
Group F: Tbilisi State University (GEO)
Group G: Brezje Maribor (SVN)
Group H: FC Feniks (KOS)
- Top scorer: Rami Tirkkonen, Sievi Futsal (9)
Main round draw (11–16 October)
Group 1: ETO Győr (HUN), Kremlin-Bicêtre United (FRA), Energy Lviv (UKR)*, Brezje Maribor (SVN)
Group 2: Araz Naxçıvan (AZE), Zelezarec Skopje (MKD)*, FC Feniks (KOS), Tbilisi State University (GEO)
Group 3: Nikars Riga (LVA), Grand Pro Varna (BUL)*, Hamburg Panthers (GER), IFK Göteberg (SWE)
Group 4: Ekonomac Kragujevac (SRB)*, LSN Lida (BLR), Nacional Zagreb (CRO), Athina '90 (GRE)
Group 5: Sporting CP (POR), Halle-Gooik (BEL), Real Rieti (ITA)*, Centar Sarajevo (BIH)
Group 6: EP Chrudim (CZE)*, City'US Târgu Mureş (ROU), Pinerola Bratislava (SVK), APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
*hosts
- The top two in each group join the four teams given byes to the elite round
Bye to elite round (draw 21 October)
Ugra Yugorsk (RUS, holders)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
Inter FS (ESP)
FC Dynamo (RUS)
- Elite round played: 22–27 November
- Four-team knockout finals: late April