UEFA Futsal Champions League final: Barça vs Sporting

Barça will take on Sporting CP in Monday's UEFA Futsal Champions League final from 20:00 CET at Krešimir Ćosić Arena in Zadar, Croatia, after winning through in the eight-team event.

The action began with Wednesday and Thursday's last-eight ties in the expanded finals before Sporting beat Inter FS and holders Barça defeated Kairat Almaty on Saturday.

Both teams are in the final for the fifth time, with Barça aiming for a fourth title and the competition's third successful defence. However, they are in these finals without a key man from those past three triumphs, captain Sergio Lozano.

Sporting are seeking a second crown, only two years on from their first, and again face Daniel Shiraishi, who could snare a record-equalling fourth having been part of the Inter teams that beat Sporting in the finals of 2017 and 2018. Sporting welcome back Vinicuis Rocha from semi-final suspension.

Views from the camps

Andreu Plaza, Barça coach: "It will be a difficult match. Sporting have played four of the last five finals; they are a very solid team. They are so compact, they defend well, they attack well, they have a mastery of all aspects of play."

Daniel Shiraishi, Barça player: "They are a solid team. They are strong, they know the competition well. It will be a great match."

Nuno Dias, Sporting coach: "They are one of the best teams in the world with great players in every position. Anyone who follows the game will agree on that. However, I think it will be a 50-50 match. We are in one of the best periods since I came to Sporting in terms of togetherness and spirit, so it will be a great match."

Alex Merlim, Sporting player: “The final is where all the teams want to be and we have two strong teams. I hope both teams can put on a good show."

Road to the final

• The quarter-final ties were decided by coefficient ranking
• Finals moved to Zadar

Quarter-finals:

Wednesday 28 April
Kairat Almaty 6-2 Benfica (aet)
Barça 2-0 Dobovec

Thursday 29 April
Inter FS 3-0 Ugra Yugorsk
Sporting CP 3-2 KPRF

Semi-finals:

Saturday 1 May
Inter FS 2-5 Sporting CP
Barça 3-2 Kairat Almaty

Meet the teams

Barça:

Road to the final: Prishtina W9-2 (h, round of 32), ACCS Asnières Villeneuve 92 W2-1 (h, round of 16), Dobovec W2-0 (n, quarter-finals), Kairat W3-2 (n, semi-finals)
Top scorer: Ferrao 5 (4 in finals)
Previous best: winners (2012, 2014, 2020)
2019/20: winners
Final record: W3 L1
In brief: Hope for only the third successful title defence after Castellón (2002 & 2003) and Inter (2017 & 2018, both final wins against Sporting)

Final tournament appearances:
2020: winners, hosts (W2-1 vs Murcia, Barcelona)
2019: third place
2018: third place, co-hosts
2015: runners-up (L2-3 vs Kairat, Lisbon)
2014: winners (W5-2aet vs FC Dynamo, Baku)
2013: third place
2012: winners, hosts (W3-1 vs FC Dynamo, Lleida)

Sporting CP:

Road to the final: Gentofte W12-1 (h, round of 32), Chrudim W5-1 (h, round of 16), KPRF W3-2 (n, quarter-finals), Inter FS W5-2 (n, semi-finals)
Top scorer: Diego Cavinato 6 (3 in finals)
Previous best: winners (2019)
Final record: W1 L3
2019/20: elite round
In brief: Won the first rebranded UEFA Futsal Champions League in 2018/19 – and hosted the only previous eight-team finals in the first UEFA Futsal Cup of 2001/02.

Final tournament appearances
2019: winners (W2-1 vs Kairat, Almaty)
2018: runners-up (L2-5 vs Inter, Zaragoza)
2017: runners-up (L0-7 vs Inter, Almaty)
2015: third place, hosts
2012: fourth place
2011: runners-up (L2-5 vs Montesilvano, Almaty)
2002: semi-finalists, hosts

Past meetings

2015 semi-final (Lisbon): Barça 5-3 Sporting (Dyego, Aicardo, Ferrao played for Barça; João Matos played for Sporting; Dyego and João Matos both scored)
2012 semi-final (Lleida): Barça 5-1 Sporting (João Matos played for Sporting)