Official Press Release from the Welsh FAW:
Wales will host its first ever UEFA Futsal Competition this August after the Football Association of Wales successfully bid to host a mini-group in the UEFA Futsal Cup Preliminary Round.
The competition will be played at the new House of Sport II, next to the Cardiff City Stadium in the capital city. The centre, which is a dedicated futsal centre has three excellent International sized-courts, which will host the double-header matches, with staggered kick-offs, on the evenings of Tuesday 27th August, Wednesday 28th August and Friday 30th August.
Wrexham Futsal Club will be representing Wales, having won the FAW Futsal Cup at the same venue in March. The North-Walians are the third club to represent Wales in the UEFA Futsal Cup, following in the footsteps of TNS and Cardiff City Futsal. They will be joined by the Champion club of three other UEFA Nations, with the group winner progressing to the next Round.
A record 49 clubs – including ten debutants – have entered the 2013/14 UEFA Futsal Cup, and 45 of them will learn their destiny in the preliminary and main round draws, which takes place in Switzerland on 3 July.
Holders Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) are among a record 49 clubs in the running for the 2013/14 UEFA Futsal Cup – and will be one of four teams excused the draw for the preliminary round, which will be made by former Spanish international Kike.
FAW Head of Competitions Andrew Howard welcomed the news and said; “This is a great feather in the cap for the FAW. We are bringing European Futsal competition to Wales for the first time and this should be a real catalyst for more exposure of the small-sided game.
“It’s also great news for the leisure industry in Cardiff as the tournament will bring over £50,000 into the Principality over the five days.”
Futsal Development Officer for the Welsh Football Trust Richard Gunney added; “This is very exciting news and fantastic for the development of Futsal in Wales. Previous winners Barcelona along with well-known clubs such as Lisbon and Moscow will be favorites to lift the trophy so the standard of this competition is very high. It will be a great chance for players, coaches and spectators to witness top level Futsal and also a great challenge for our domestic champions Wrexham Futsal Club.”
