UEFA Futsal Champions League elite round starts Tuesday

The UEFA Futsal Champions League elite round runs from 26 to 30 November.

The elite round will be played as one-venue mini-tournaments involving the 16 teams that advanced from the main round, including holders Illes Balears Palma, former champions Kairat Almaty and Sporting CP, 2022/23 semi-finalists Sporting Anderlecht, and competition debutants Cartagena Costa Cálida, Catania and Semey. The four group winners progress to the finals on 1/2 and 3/4 May, with the hosts to be confirmed.

Elite round groups

Group A (27–30 November)

Cartagena Costa Cálida (ESP, hosts), United Galati (ROU), Catania (ITA), Riga Futsal Club (LVA)

• Cartagena and Catania are both in their debut European seasons, and none of these clubs have ever reached the finals.
• Catania are the only survivors from the preliminary round.
• United Galati, previously in the 2022/23 elite round, are coached by Cacau, who led Kairat to victory in 2012/13 and 2014/15.
• Riga also played in the elite round last season on debut.
• No teams from Romania or Latvia have previously reached the finals (though the 2022 finals were played in Riga).

Group B (27–30 November)

Kairat Almaty (KAZ), Olmissum (CRO), Etoile Lavalloise (FRA), Futsal Dinamo (CRO, hosts)

• Kairat were champions in 2012/13 and 2014/15, and have kept up their record of reaching the elite round in all 18 editions that it has been part of the format.
• Olmissum are in the last 16 for the fourth time in five seasons.
• Etoile Lavalloise reached the elite round on debut last season.
• Dinamo are in the elite round for the first time. They have beaten Olmissum in the last two Croatian league championship play-off finals.
• Olmissum vs Dinamo will be the second all-Croatian match in UEFA futsal competition after Novo Vrijeme Makarska beat MNK Pula 2-0 in the 2022/23 main round. Croatia has never had a team in the post-2006/07 four-team finals but MNK Split were in the one-off eight-team final tournament in the inaugural edition of 2001/02, going through to the semis.

Group C (26–29 November)

Braga (POR), Sporting CP (POR, hosts), Sporting Anderlecht (BEL), Plzeň (CZE)

• Braga also reached the elite round in their previous entry of 2017/18. They beat Plzeň 4-1 in this season's main round.
• During the main round, two-time champions Sporting became only the second team to pass 100 matches in this competition after Kairat. Sporting already had the most wins (now 73) and goals (now 449).
• Sporting have twice faced another Portuguese club, Benfica, in this competition, drawing 1-1 in the 2018/19 elite round to qualify for the finals (which Sporting won) and losing 6-3 to the Eagles in the 2023/24 third-place play-off in Yerevan.
• Anderlecht were semi-finalists in 2022/23, losing to Sporting CP. Sporting also beat Anderlecht in last season's elite round and, when the Belgian club were known as Halle-Gooik, in the 2017/18 elite round and 2016/17 main round.
• Plzeň previously reached the elite round in 2021/22, winning 6-3 against Halle-Gooik (in the final season before they became Anderlecht). They are aiming to be the first Czech club to reach the finals.

Group D (27–30 November)

Illes Balears Palma (ESP, hosts), Record Bielsko-Biała (POL), Semey (KAZ), Lučenec (SVK)

• Palma have won the European title for the last two seasons; the only team to lift the trophy in their debut pair of campaigns since Castellón in the inaugural 2001/02 and 2002/03 editions.
• They are unbeaten in all their 19 European games to date and if Palma go through the elite round without losing they will overtake the record of Castellón, who did not suffer defeat in any of their 21 matches over the first three editions of the old UEFA Futsal Cup.
• Record previously reached the elite round in 2018/19. Poland has never had a team in the post-2006/07 four-team finals but Clearex Chorzów were in the one-off eight-team final tournament in the inaugural edition of 2001/02.
• Semey, whose squad includes Higuita and Ferrao among others, are in their debut European season.
• Lučenec are in the elite round for the first time. No club from Slovakia has previously reached the finals.