The Barcelona futsal team returns to the Champions League after two years of absence, and the team is already showing great motivation to face the main phase in Lučenec, Slovakia. Coach Javi Rodríguez and captain Dídac Plana have underlined the enthusiasm that reigns in the locker room and the ambition to demonstrate the Barça power on the continental stage.
Barça face Swiss Futsal Minerva on Wednesday, Kazakhstan's FC Semey and hosts Lučenec in the Main Round, where the top three teams advance to the round of 16. With the experience of having won the competition four times (2012, 2014, 2020 and 2022), the club hopes to regain lost respect and once again establish itself as one of the most competitive teams in Europe.
Before leaving for Slovakia, Rodríguez emphasized that the team arrives with “that enthusiasm and that desire to do something beautiful again.” He stated that, after two years without competing in Europe, Barça has renewed ambition and that it cannot afford to stay two years out of the Champions League. “There are teams like Lucenec and Minerva that we don't know and it will be a surprise,” he commented, and avoided the label of favorites for the title, but he is confident that the squad will be able to “recover the lost respect.”
For his part, goalkeeper Dídac Plana shared the excitement the group feels about returning to the Champions League. "We all know the journey we have experienced these last two years without being able to participate. It is something that eats you up inside and stirs up many feelings," he explained. “We start again with great enthusiasm, knowing that the road will be long,” he added, and he expects a very competitive main phase.
The team will fly to Budapest and then take a coach to Lučenec, where they will set up on the court at the Športová hala Arena. The first match of the Main Round is scheduled for Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., against Futsal Minerva. With renewed enthusiasm and experience under their belt, Barça futsal seeks to demonstrate that it remains a serious competitor in the Champions League.