UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round preview

The new UEFA Futsal Cup season begins on Tuesday with the preliminary round, 29 teams competing in eight groups over six days. UEFA.com previews the action.

Format
• Entering in this round are the teams ranked 21–49 in the coefficients. The sides ranked 5–20 start in the main round and the top four have byes to November's elite round: holders FC Barcelona, Kairat Almaty, Araz Naxçivan and Sporting Clube de Portugal.

• Five preliminary round groups have four clubs and three have three; in all cases they are one-venue mini-tournaments with the section winners progressing to the main round, for which the draw is already made.

• In the main round the top two teams from each of the six groups go through to join the four seeds in the elite round. The four elite round group winners advance to the knockout finals in April.

Contenders
• In all, 12 sides are making ther debuts in this round: MNK Alumnus Zagreb, APOEL FC, MNK Centar Sarajevo, Record Bielsko-Byala, FSC Schwaz, FC Agama Podgorica, FK Lokomotyvas Radviliškis, FC Progress Chisinau, Malmö City FC, NAFI Stuttgart, Hovocubo and Gibraltar's first entrants, Gibraltar Scorpions.

• Two of the contenders made it through this round last season: London's Baku United FC and Bulgarian outfit FC Grand Pro Varna.

• Baku United's squad includes former FIFA Futsal World Cup winner Marcelo among a host of Spanish professionals.

Matija Capar©Getty Images

• Almunus Zagreb are coached by former Croatia boss Mićo Martić and boast Matija Capar who twice scored late equalisers as a flying goalkeeper at UEFA Futsal EURO 2014.

• Malta's Balzan FC feature Romania's Gabriel Dobre as player-coach and he is joined by international team-mates Iuliu Safar, Emil Răducu and Andrei Dan. Former Romania coach Sito Rivera is also providing assistance.

Fixture list: follow the games live on UEFA.com

Full draw
Preliminary round
Group A (26–29 August): Hovocubo (NED), Eden Futsal (IRL)*, Istanbul Üniversitesi SK (TUR), Wrexham Futsal Club (WAL)

Group B (27–30 August): Baku United FC (ENG), MNK Centar Sarajevo (BIH)*, Malmö City FC (SWE), Gibraltar Scorpions FC (GIB)

Group C (27–30 August): FS Ilves Tampere (FIN), Record Bielsko-Byala (POL)*, Perth Saltires (SCO), FK Lokomotyvas Radviliškis (LTU)

Group D (27–30 August): APOEL FC (CYP)*, NAFI Stuttgart (GER), FC Anzhi Tallin (EST), KF Flamurtari Vlorë (ALB)

Group E (27–30 August): FC Stalitsa Minsk (BLR), FC Encamp (AND), FSC Schwaz (AUT)*, FC Talgrig Yerevan (ARM)

Group F (27–29 August): MNK Alumnus Zagreb (CRO)*, København Futsal (DEN), Balzan FC (MLT)

Group G (28–30 August): KMF Zelezarec Skopje (MKD), Asa Ben Gurion (ISR) , FC Agama Podgorica (MNE)*

Group H (29–31 August): FC Grand Pro Varna (BUL)*, Uni Futsal Bulle (SUI), FC Progress Chisinau (MDA)

Main round (30 September–5 October)
Group 1: FK EP Chrudim (CZE)*, Sporting Club de Paris (FRA), Winner preliminary round Group E, Winner preliminary round Group G

Group 2: Iberia Star Tbilisi (GEO), FK Nikars Riga (LVA)*, Winner preliminary round Group H, Winner preliminary round Group C

Group 3: ISK Dina Moskva (RUS)*, Futsal Team Charleroi (BEL), FC Deva (ROU), Winner preliminary round Group F

Group 4: Inter FS (ESP), FC Lokomotiv Kharkiv (UKR), KMN Kobarid (SVN)*, Winner preliminary round Group A

Group 5: KMF Ekonomac Kragujevac (SRB)*, Luparense C/5 (ITA), Athina '90 (GRE), Winner preliminary round Group B

Group 6: Slov-Matic Bratislava (SVK), MVFC Berettjóújfalu (HUN)*, Vegakameratene (NOR), Winner preliminary round Group D

*Hosts