Bácaro embraces senior status

Italy's Vinicius Bácaro has happy memories of playing Ukraine – in 2003 it was his goal that gave the Azzurri a 1-0 win on home soil in the UEFA European Futsal Championsip final. That was Bácaro's first taste of a major tournament; now 31, he has since played in final of the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Cup and the 2007 EURO, losing both to Spain, and recovered from a serious knee injury to aid Interviú Madrid to victory at the 2009 UEFA Futsal Cup. He overcame a fresh problem to play in Italy's opener here in Hungary, beating Belgium 4-0, and the Brazilian-born Bácaro spoke to uefa.com as they prepare to face Ukraine again in Saturday's Group B decider in Debrecen.

uefa.com: Italy has started this tournament very well...

Vinicius Bácaro: Yes, the most important thing was to win. The victory allows us to face the next match a lot more calmly. We had three days to rest and prepare for Ukraine. For a few players in our team, this was their first international experience. It is always hard to play in such big venues. Italy are renewing their squad; there is a mixture of Italian and Brazilian-born players. The Italian ones are less experienced, which is something very important in these type of tournaments. This is why it was very important to win. It will allow us to prepare better and help the new players adapt.

uefa.com: You are one of the most experienced players in the team. How do you share that experience with the others?

Bácaro: I talk a lot with them and most important I try to make them feel calm and relaxed when they get into the pitch, so that they feel the pressure less. This victory is important as it makes us gain confidence.

uefa.com: With the new-look team, have your objectives changed compared to previous tournaments?

Bácaro: No - Italy's objectives remain the same. The renewal of the team is something internal, but we always go on to the pitch to win it all. We want to reach the final and beat whatever team we face. We are well aware that this time it is going to be more complicated. Spain and Russia have very strong teams, but now every country in this tournament is very difficult to beat.

uefa.com: How are you doing with your knee injury?

Bácaro: In general, I'm doing very well. I've only had this sudden pain in the knee since three days before the finals, which did not let me train in the best possible way. But thanks to God, and our physiotherapists, I've fully recovered from my previous injury. I'm very ambitious for this tournament, both personally and for the team, and I hope we can go very far in the tournament and reach the final.