Scotland’s top futsal team are determined to make up for lost time as they embark on another Uefa Champions League adventure.
Perth side PYF Saltires romped to the Scottish Super League title last season, winning all 12 fixtures, scoring 120 goals and conceding just seven times.
As Scotland’s champions, their reward is a crack at European futsal’s top prize – currently held by Barcelona.
Futsal is a sport similar to indoor five-a-side football, though played with a smaller, heavier ball. It is very popular around Europe and South America – almost 8,500 fans watched Barca beat Sporting Lisbon in last season’s final in Riga.
Breakthrough in the #UCLFutsal final!
Three-time winner Sergio Lozano puts Barcelona ahead with a fine finish đź‘Š
đź“ş Futsal Champions League | BT Sport 3 HD pic.twitter.com/37mCvD5uJ8
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 1, 2022
The draw earlier this month gave Saltires a trip to Austria to take on three opponents in a round robin qualifying stage.
There they face hosts Fortuna Wiener Neustadt, Danish top seeds JB Futsal Gentofte and fourth seeds Amigo Northwest of Bulgaria – all national champions.
‘Scotland are still around’
The Scots’ last tilt at European futsal was a success as they recorded a first-ever victory for a Scottish club, defeating Gibraltan side Lynx 4-1 in 2019.
They missed out on the Champions League last season due to Covid, however.
“It’s not until the draw comes when it hits you and it gets real,” PYF and Scotland captain Kyle Ballingall told the Courier.
“You win the league and know you are in the Champions League but it’s not until you see the seedings and the hosts until it really hits home.
“We’re in pot three this time because of our win in 2019 so there is a real buzz about it.
“It has motivated us more than ever after missing out last time. After all our hard work in winning the league, we didn’t get the chance to play at that level.
“That’s two seasons now Scotland have been missing so we’re determined to show that Scotland are still around in futsal and we can be competitive.
“We’re certainly planning to make the most of this chance we have and we’re going to enjoy it.”
‘Sharpness’
With a month to go until the main event, Saltires are putting in as much preparation as they can.
That includes a trip to Dublin to face Republic of Ireland champions Blue Magic as well as tests against English outfits York and Sheffield.
“We always feel we need a game to get up to speed at Champions League level,” Ballingall added.
“You don’t get the intensity and sharpness of those games here.
🔙🔜 pic.twitter.com/FCS8IRfhze
— Perth Youth Futsal (@PYFSaltires) July 11, 2022
“So we wanted to arrange a game against another Champions League side who have done well in the past. They are a seed above us so it will be a good test.
“The group we are in is a bit of an unknown quality – two of the teams are debutants.
“We know a little about the Danes, they played (former Scotland champions) Wattcell in 2018 and won 6-0. They also played a Northern Irish team and won 3-2.
“We haven’t found out much about the Bulgarians but I think we got one of the hardest possible pot four teams.
🔵🔴UCL FUTSAL🔵🔴
đź“… 24-27 August
🏟 Arena Nova – Weiner Neustadt
🏆 Group B pic.twitter.com/y600NAbBWb
— Perth Youth Futsal (@PYFSaltires) July 7, 2022
“With Scotland, we recently played the Bulgaria national team so there is a bit of knowledge there.
“We know they will be a good side.”
With all this work going into preparations, Saltires are looking to make a splash on Europe’s biggest futsal stage.
“We’re not going just to make up the numbers but to compete,” Ballingall vowed.
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