The Portuguese Ricardinho, best player in the world, and the Brazilian Falcão are two of the confirmed presences in the 3rd edition of the Masters Cup Futsal, which takes place, on August 25th and 26th, at Portimão Arena, in this Algarve city. The proof was presented yesterday afternoon, at a press conference on the banks of the River Arade, in Portimão.
This year, Barcelona will not be present, but the tournament will still have a luxury squad with four of the biggest futsal teams in the world: Sporting Clube de Portugal, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Movistar Inter FS and rookie Magnus Futsal, coming from Brazil.
In addition to the exciting matches in perspective, this time there will be a novelty: the Gira Movistars Mega Craques, a project that «gives children from 7 to 12 years the opportunity to interact with the best team and the best player in the world», as announced by Paulo Jorge, administrator of Unisports, the company that organizes the tournament.
Registration for this parallel initiative is already open on the Portimão City Council website. Isilda Gomes, president of the municipality, pointed out that Gira Movistars Mega Craques will "highlight the role of futsal players already established in attracting more athletes to this sport".
For the mayor, it is very positive that «children can have contact with world-class players, like our Ricardinho». Isilda Gomes highlighted that, in the municipality, there are four clubs practicing the sport – Portimonense, Boavista, Gil Eanes and Pedra Mourinha. “This is a way to make this tournament part of the city. It is also for our young people and for our young people».
But the attention of the pavilion lovers who have the most fans and practitioners in Portugal will be mainly focused on the games. Just before the official start of the Masters Cup Futsal, on the 23rd of August, at 21 pm, in a kind of appetizer, there will be the City of Portimão Trophy, with free entry, which will pit Portimonense Futsal and Belenenses face to face.
As for the tournament itself, once again there won't be an exciting Benfica/Sporting, as these teams will not face each other in the scheduled games.
On Saturday, August 25th, the competition opens with a Sporting/Magnus, at 14:30, followed by Benfica/Movistar, at 19:00.
On Sunday, the 26th, the matches between Benfica/Magnus (13:30) and Movistar/Sporting (19:00) will take place.
Paulo Jorge, administrator of Unisports, pointed out that «to join Ricardinho and Falcão», a living legend of futsal, is «unheard of». The official had no doubts in classifying this as the “best international event in the world of futsal. The best players in the world are here».
Miguel Albuquerque, director of the Futsal Department at Sporting Clube Portugal, said that "a competition like this elevates sport and futsal." The tournament that takes place again in Portimão, for the second consecutive year, "is part of our preparation" and "will put our abilities to the test".
Gonçalo Alves, Futsal Team Manager at Sport Lisboa e Benfica, stressed that it is a «great prestige to be in this competition, with big clubs and a big rival».
But the person in charge of Benfica showed the great fair play between the two clubs of the Segunda Circular, as far as futsal is concerned. «Neither Sporting nor Benfica have yet managed to win this competition. I hope it's this year! In the first place, Benfica, but if it is not Benfica, let it be Sporting», said Gonçalo Alves.
António Magalhães, director of the newspaper Record, one of the promoters of the Masters Cup, stressed that "a final of the Final Four of the UEFA Futsal Cup does not have a poster so full of talents". “To be able to have teams of this level in the same competition is difficult”, he said.
Isilda Gomes, Mayor of Portimão, highlighted that “with great enthusiasm the Municipality of Portimão hosts this Tournament for the second time, proving the hosting capacity and the unique conditions that the multipurpose pavilion Portimão Arena offers for this type of event. sporting events'.
«Given the dimension of the tournament and being Portimão, in 2019, the European City of Sport, we could not fail to guarantee that there are no two without three and, next year, we will be here again to announce another great edition of the Masters Cup in Portimão », he added.
The fact that the Master Cup has four of the biggest futsal teams in the world, and that it brings the soccer players Ricardinho and Falcão to Portimão, led Isilda Gomes to say that she hopes that «not only Portimonians, but also tourists» will attend the tournament . "Only these two names are a factor of attraction, but there is also Benfica and Sporting."
The Mayor expressed her conviction that the Masters Cup Futsal "is going to be a resounding success". And he announced: «next year we will be here, for the third consecutive time».
However, since yesterday, tickets are already on sale, at Portimão Arena, at Teatro Municipal de Portimão, at Museu da Cidade and at the Bol's online box office.
CM TV will broadcast all games live.
This international sporting event is once again organized by Unisports, which owns the brand, in co-organization with the Municipality of Portimão and the Algarve Football Association.
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