Interviú first to three triumphs

After two years of Russian domination, it was time for Spain to shine again in 2008/09 as Interviú Madrid (formerly known as Boomerang) returned to the competition after a season's absence and scored 22 goals in five victories on their way to becoming the first three-time UEFA Futsal Cup winners.

Forty-four teams began on the road to the finals, including the first-ever entrants from Denmark and Iceland, Albertslund IF and Vídir Gardi respectively. Neither were to progress to the Main round, and the 12 teams that came through that stage knew that four fomidable top seeds – Interviú, holders MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg, former champions MFK Dinamo Moskva and two-time semi-finalists Kairat Almaty – awaited in the Elite round.

Indeed all four of those teams were to top their groups but there were some close-run things; Kairat only edged out 2005 winners Action 21 Charleroi on goal difference after a 4-4 draw in which the Belgian team had led 2-0 and 3-2, while Schumacher struck four minutes from time for Interviú to see them win 2-1 against the side they defeated in the 2004 final, SL Benfica. Ekaterinburg were chosen as hosts, and the capacity of more than 4,000 in the Ural city's Palace of Sport sold out well in advance.

The first semi-final matched Interviú with Kairat, and two early Schumacher goals put the Madrid side in control, with a pair from Neto and a late Vinicius Bácaro effort securing a 5-0 win. It was still goalless 35 minutes into a pulsating tie between Russian rivals Ekaterinburg and Dinamo before an acrobatic Alexei Mokhov volley broke the deadlock in favour of the hosts and Pavel Chistopolov then ensured their final place with a 2-0 success.

Dinamo were expected to repeat their 2008 third-place victory against Kairat but Carlos Montovanelli's third-minute goal for the Kazakhstan representatives proved decisive. The home fans had warmed themselves up by noisily backing Kairat but by half-time in the final Ekaterinburg were 3-0 down after goals from Daniel and Jordi Torrás preceded a Schumacher penalty. Daniel's 26th-minute free-kick increased the lead but although Konstantin Agapov swiftly pulled one back, Juanra was able to roll the ball into an empty net for a 5-1 victory and Spain's fifth UEFA Futsal Cup triumph in eight years – two for Playas de Castellón FS and now three for Interviú.