Today marks the start of Riga Futsal Club’s journey in the UEFA Futsal Champions League Main Round, as they kick off their campaign in Malta. Meanwhile, in Gliwice, Poland, Lithuanian champions FK Kauno Žalgiris will begin their own European quest tomorrow.
This season’s UEFA Futsal Champions League features 56 teams from 52 European associations. The qualification rounds began at the end of August, with 32 teams competing for eight spots in the main stage. Among them was Estonian champion Tallinna FC Bunker Partner, who collected four points in three matches to finish third in their group. It was Slovenian side NK Vrhnika who secured the group’s ticket to the next stage.
Now, the focus shifts to the Main Round, featuring the two strongest futsal clubs from the Baltics – Riga Futsal Club, currently ranked 7th in Europe, and FK Kauno Žalgiris, sitting 19th in the UEFA rankings.
This year’s competition comes with a significant format change. Previously, teams played multiple mini-tournaments in groups of four until 16 teams remained, which were then split into four groups – the winners of each group advancing to the Final Four. Now, a knockout stage begins from the Round of 16, with home-and-away matches leading up to the quarterfinals. The four winners will then battle it out in the Final Four for the coveted title.
Thanks to their high UEFA ranking, Riga Futsal Club have been drawn into a group where the top three teams will progress to the Round of 16. The Latvian champions, who have come close to the Final Four in the past two seasons, are determined to take the next step.
Their group opponents include:
- Luxol St Andrews (Malta) – nine-time Maltese champions and ranked 13th in Europe;
- KMF Loznica-Grad (Serbia) – Serbian champions and ranked 25th, familiar to Latvian fans from last year’s Nikars Summer Cup in Riga;
- SL Benfica (Portugal) – one of Europe’s futsal powerhouses, 2009/10 UEFA Futsal Cup winners, and currently ranked 5th in Europe.
Riga begin their campaign today against Luxol St Andrews, followed by a highly anticipated clash with Benfica tomorrow. They will close the tournament on Saturday with a decisive match against Loznica. The top three finishers will advance to the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Lithuanian champions FK Kauno Žalgiris kick off their Main Round campaign tomorrow in Gliwice. Drawn into Group 2, Žalgiris face a challenging path. Their opening match will be against Spanish giants Jimbee Cartagena, who secured Spain’s second Champions League spot for the second year running and finished third in last season’s competition.
On Friday, Žalgiris take on hosts Piast Gliwice, the lowest-ranked side in the group (43rd in Europe), before wrapping up their campaign against Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht, home to Latvia’s top futsal player Edgars Tarakanovs. Anderlecht are ranked 8th in Europe and finished fourth in the 2022/23 UEFA Futsal Champions League.
Just like in Riga’s group, the top three teams from Žalgiris’s group will continue their European campaign, advancing to the Round of 16.
