Spanish Underdogs Looking To Seize Futsal League Title

The Play-Offs for the Spanish LNFS title will be played starting from today featuring three underdogs.

The winner will be ultimately decided over three intense legs in June that are four days apart from each other and one of the finalists will book their place in the Champions League.

Palma sat close behind them in the final match-day while Barca slipped also, following their cup failures in the Copa de España and Champions League.

The standings at the end are almost worthless but you would think it gives a chance for some underdogs in 5th or 6th to get some prestigious silverware yet in this case it was Barcelona.

El Pozo Murcia finished in pole position of the league table this season but failed drastically to capitalise a less challenging quarter final draw against Vina Albali Valdepeñas.

El Pozo vs Valdepeñas Quarter Final:

An incredibly passionate tie amongst players and fans as Juanan broke the deadlock with a scintillating back hell in the first half. A flurry of miraculous saves from the El Pozo keeper denied Valdepeñas but some relentless offensive pressure and pure classy footwork ensured the away side clinically headed into the second half at 4-2. El Pozo fought back after a probably fiery half-time team talk.

However, the 5-5 scoreline amounted after two halves of mesmerising futsal led to penalties where an unusual amount of saves were made and Valdepeñas celebrated like they have already won the league title.

Semi-Finals:

El Pozo have never placed lower than 8th in an LNFS season so to knockout these titans was an unprecedented achievement from the side west of Murcia.

Their morale is surely sky-high going into their semi-final matches vs Levante whose rollercoaster season hides their fantastic attacking style.

Levante have brought in players such as ex-Barcelona sensation Esteban Guerrero who has proved to be a key asset to this team, contributing to penetrating one touch passes around the pitch and meticulous movements to deceive the opponents and create opportunities. 'Las Granotas' are heading into the semis with an 8-1 victory which reinforces their offensive style but a 5-2 loss against their opponent.

Player Maxi said, "We're going to give our lives to enter the Champions League," as both teams look pumped up seeking a spot in the final.

The other semi-final is between Barca and Palma who actually finished level on point with the leaders El Pozo but lost out to their head-to-head record. They often produced unmatchable defensive displays as they only conceded 67 goals this futsal campaign in the league which is just four more than Barca. It has been outstanding season regardless of the results not falling their way against many of the top 5.

The team from Mallorca have dominated futsal in Spain this season and even forcefully pushed Barca out of the top three.

Renowned pivot Esquerdinha sharpens his aim for the UCL, highlighting Palma's credentials but firmly setting his eyes on the target, "On Saturday the important thing is to get the first point and on Wednesday decide at home. Every season, Palma takes a step forward," he said.

"In recent years, the results have not been so positive there for us, so we have not been able to get so many points, but we must also recognise the merit of a tema that is very compact and defends very well. You have to try to change that streak because the first point is very important."

When and How to Watch?

Saturday 12th June Semi-Finals:

Levante vs Valdepenas - LaLigaSportsTV 17:30 UK Time

Palma vs Barca - GOL 19:30 UK Time

An incredible opportunity to win a league title awaits as the Spanish teams will showcase their full potential in the significant bouts coming up.

Duda: The Coach Of Cartagena Pursuing to Dream Title Against Former Club El Pozo Where He Was On The Brink Of Sharing The Court With Diego Maradona

 

Jimbee Cartagena coach Duda narrowly lost the chance to take revenge on his former club also from Murcia, where he left a remarkable legacy and this time everything was at stake.

El Pozo are now level on 64 points with Levante and now leaders Palma following match day 32 after their recent, emphatic 3-2 win. It has been an extraordinary LNFS campaign and it has all led to the denouement of the now 5 way title race.

Current LNFS Table

Levante were breezing and looked to be striding towards their inaugural championship but this slipped away within an instance. A spell of demoralising form in domestic cups among several points dropped against all sorts of sides has sparked, several others to emerge to vie for this prestigious title.

Cartagena and El Pozo Murcia have propelled to the peak of Spanish Futsal but in different circumstances. This crucial head-to-head was a deciding factor to who indeed takes home the prize and fans from both sides of the Spanish principality were be eager to see the outcome. 

The dismal aftermath for Cartagena was a dismal defeat to local rivals and now the slim prospect of winning the championship instead of the incredible one.

El Pozo Murcia have been substantially more successful than their local counterparts, partly influenced to the magic of Brazilian mastermind Duda. Former player of El Pozo in the 1990s began his illustrious takeover in charge of the club in 2001.

Unexpectedly and incredibly, prior to the start of his managerial career, Duda could of experienced the pinnacle of sporting privileges by playing with Argentine football icon Diego Maradona.

In 1991 El Pozo proposed an outrageous bid to sign him with the aim of making him the star of the team in the 91-92 season. The Argentine star, who was not living his best days after the controversy that was generated by the fifteen- month sanction for the player's positive after a Naples game, received an offer of 100 million pesetas from Murcia. The then president of El Pozo, Eloy Jiménez, made it clear that nothing was a "bluff", and that with Diego Armando the pavilions would be filled. "We offer him the possibility of rehabilitating himself in sports and changing his life and image after the Italian scandal," added Jiménez. Everything was left in a wish that could not be fulfilled.

El Pozo's attempts to sign Diego Maradona outlined in 1991 newspaper article.

This was in the midst of playing for Napoli in 1991 where Diego Armando had a drug crisis, vastly influenced by the psychological deterioration of fame and defeating Italy in the World Cup, the place where he was dearly loved but crushed the fans dreams.

This man was dedicated to futsal in his youth and a man who ultimately revolutionised the game of football with his small physique but possessing no less of an ability than any other player and just a model of flair and technical brilliance. This was all developed through futsal in Argentina, the most prominent nation in futsal popularity and a key nation of founding our beautiful game.

This could have been the turning-point for futsal and would of been. It really is just incredible!

The euphoria just hearing of this news in the 90s experienced by Duda must have been overwhelming, so twenty years later can he individually transform a team absent of triumphs into a European powerhouse?

The Costa Colida coach recently appeared on the media expressing his thoughts prior to the bout, “Both teams know that a loss there would make it very difficult for us to be at the top. We have three games ahead of us, but this is key because it is against a direct rival, ”explained Duda.

The Jimbee Cartagena coach has defined the rival team as "a team with a lot of potential, many virtues and with clear ideas" and predicts that it will be a "very competitive game against a team that is having a very good season." 

The task was daunting for both sets of players heading into the game at the Murcia Sports Place where stakes are exceptional high and Duda wanted to feel full of confidence “it is another challenge that we have ahead of us and we are going to try to achieve it”.

The aftermath however, was El Pozo leaving a significant dent in their rivals' trophy hopes after their 3-2 victory yesterday against them. A completely dominant display, very much defensively, from Diego Giustozzi's side until two goals in the second half from Cartagena in quick succession coinciding with relentless pressure especially with Duda's introduction of a fly-keeper, forced the hosts to scrape a victory.

The race remains tight with even the out of form Barcelona able to reach another title. Dropping of points will prove costly and underdogs Levante and Cartagena have the chance that they have been granted, to eradicate the giants of Spains' title hopes and clinch their first titles for themselves. 

The teams must watch out and fight their way to the finish line in this unprecedented LNFS season finale.

Noia Portus Apostoli: The 2nd Division Futsal Side With 600 stadium seats on the Brink of Promotion

 

Barça B and Noia Portus Apostoli faced off as the visitors looked to solidify their advancement to the promotion play off. The Galicians have already mathematically advanced to the play offs in an unforgetful quest to the elite of Spanish futsal.

The away side denied the Blaugrana subsidiary of three points, making it 10 defeats this campaign for Barça's second team, with a 5-3 victory that was identical to the reverse match last month.

Located in the northwest of the country, Noia only have a 600 stadium capacity which is one of the lowest in the first two divisions, reflecting their population of almost 15,000 inhabitants.

The newly emerging futsal team are looking to make unprecedented history, to promote themselves to the top flight. From 2008, the Galicians settled in the Second Division B for nine straight seasons but were promoted in 2017 to the second highest national league category to deplete their agonising monotony.

An extremely remote place for teams to travel but this week Noia trekked themselves to Catalonia where they confronted a youthful Barça B side that sit 6th in the table. They lost all their games in March including against their opponents.

There will be no need for the Spanish Second Division of applying the best result or goal difference rule to decide the league, as Noia are comfortably in pole position and easily exploited the Catalans, committing more to attacking especially when they have only let in 47 goals throughout this season, remarkably the least of any side.

Scoring two consecutive goals to practically end the game in Barcelona, they hold an impeccable margin at the top as they reached half a century of points. Union Africa Ceuti, founded in 1930, are completely out of sight but will be the main contender for Noia especially taking into account that they only picked up a draw from two games against these opponents. 

A picture of Noia celebrating together in front of minute stand after their 3-2 victory against Manzaneres FS to seal promotion playoff, they have accomplished the double sweep also vs Barça B.

The club coaches appeared in a pre-match press interview expressing their main objective, "we need to remain competitive, we are ambitious and demanding, and we have to remain so. We are not in a position to let go, it is important to reach that historic moment (Play Off) in the best possible way. They continued to say, "since the first training of this week no one has slowed down and we are focused. We want to get to the Play Off with good dynamic, and that happens by working every day."

Noia need to hold exceptional equanimity going into the PlayOffs, which will ultimately decide the minuscule club's exciting fate.

Match Preview: The Latest Instalment of the Futsal El Clásico

Inter Movistar and Barça Futsal meet for the 4th time this season in the Supercopa de España de Futsal on Thursday 15th April.

A continual battle has emerged since the beginning of futsal as these two titans have vied for countless triumphs. Demonstrated clearly earlier in the current campaign, as Inter Movistar assuredly thrashed Barça in their surprising first meeting ever in the final of the Copa de España with the reflective scoreline of 6-1 in late March.

This particular cup that is being fought for this week is distinct from all others as it has evaded Barcelona's trophy cabinet throughout several seasons. The Catalans have only picked up the title in 2013 and in 2019 where on both occasions their advancement to the final was from their success in the Copa Del Rey.

While, Inter Movistar have been the ultimate supremisits in the history of the Supercopa's history, clinching the title 13 times, more than double of any other side.

City Rivalry:

The major Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona have always competed vigorously with each other, depicted by the thrilling El Clásicos we often see in football. The fierce rivalry has evolved in since the breakthrough of the cities' two football clubs.

Real Madrid and Barcelona is dated back to 1902 and has been a spectacle in Europe like no other as we see teams with almost equal quality and ambition face off.

Fans gather from around the world to devote their support in favour of their club and collide in a competitive encounter.

Commentator Ray Hudson expressed his feelings about the iconic El Clásico: "Really it's the quality of football that it comes down to, at a very high tempo pace. The type of artistry that you just don't see anywhere else in the world." He added that, "Obviously it's the greatest game on planet Earth," which accentuates how it is one of the most outstanding matchups in sport as a whole.

Jan S0L0, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

With only 13 wins separating the sides over 117 total games, El Clásico is an extremely rare viewing of an incredibly tight match.

Approximately 600km apart from one another, yet the rivalry is no where near an absence.

The phenomenal game has related to the futsal world. Inter have dominated the futsal scene for decades while Barça are just beginning to establish themselves over the last 20 years. A thrilling contest and almost a replica in terms of intensity and competitiveness as the two leading world futsal teams collide once again.

Match Preview:

Inter Movistar will play Barça Futsal in the Supercopa de España on Thursday 15th April 2021 at 7pm BST .

Where will the final commence?

The venue hosting the finale will be the WiZink Centre (Pabellón Jorge Garbajosa) in Madrid, the home of Inter Movistar.

How To Watch:

You can watch via the Spanish channel Teledeporte or follow live updates starting from 8pm CET, 7pm BST.

Anticipated Line Ups:

Inter Movistar: Herrero, Boyis, Martel, Saldise and Borja.

Barcelona: Dídac, Marcenio, Dyego, Daniel and Ferrao.   

Prediction:

Inter Movistar seem to have been in staggering defensive form over recent weeks which consequently deters me from thinking they are going to lose this final, and I think Barça will close the gap in the result due to their prior knowledge of their rivals from March's match.

Azerbaijan Euros Qualification: The Story of Country Hero Everton Cardoso Playing at the Current Best Futsal Team in Spain

Dual nationality Levante player Everton Cardoso equalised sensationally with 31 seconds remaining to secure Azerbaijan's historic place in the Futsal Euros in 2022 against Slovakia.

Azerbaijan rank 12th in the Futsal World Rankings, the highest ranked futsal team from the Caucasus region and are now certainly perceived as not a force to be reckoned with. A clean sweep of their Group in the qualifiers sees them confirmed winners and their unbeaten streak continue.

Standings of Group 3 of the European Qualifiers for the Championship in 2022 in The Netherlands. (UEFA.com)

An opportunity to emulate their inconceivable 4th place finish in their debuting tournament in Hungary 2010 awaits them heading into the Netherlands next year.

A relatively older average age than most National Teams but possess vast team unity and determination. They've only conceded 6 goals throughout the Group stage which is half of that let in by the more established Italy. Defensive masterclasses in recent times have been greatly influenced by Cardoso whose futsal competence has sent positive impulses through the accompanying Azeris.

The 33-year-old opted for a duel nationality in 2016 consisting of Brazil and Azerbaijan and moved to a team in Spain in a bid for more success.

The Brazilian born man in also making history at Levante who stand top of LNFS and on the brink of their first league title. He has contributed significantly to their success in all aspects as The Frogs have beaten El Pozo and Inter Movistar earlier this season.

Cardoso has been a key asset in the unstoppable force that is the Valencians as he has 8 goals following 25 games for the club in the contemporary campaign, despite being originally positioned as a fixed.

His lengthy spells in Brazil after being born in the Brazilian region Santa Catarina have developed experience like no other.

With the introductions of other futsal veterans like Mario Rivillos and Esteban Guerrero, Levante's recruitment has allowed the club to progress to dominate the toughest league in the world.

Everton Cardoso, not to be confused with the footballer, has brought extra emphasis to his nation and club through his competitive attributes and hopes to leave a legacy behind at the country he turned to.

How Industrias Santa Coloma are now becoming the more superior Catalan Futsal side

Industrias Santa Coloma participated in a thrilling Catalan derby against FC Barcelona where they triumphed 3-2 in their newly renovated pavilion on Sunday.

It has been a rivalry spanning for decades as two of the oldest Spanish futsal clubs faced off in an intense matchup where we astonishingly saw the Catalan underdogs sweep past their renowned opponents.

The occurrence of taking all three points against Barça was a relief and sparked euphoria around the club. This was especially as they clinched the tie in the last minute as Santa Coloma player Cardona finished off a scintillating pattern of play by turning quickly and shooting firmly into the goal.

They also have accomplished the feat of taking maximum points from Barça over their two league matches.

This derby is extremely precious in Catalan futsal hearts as players often reminisce the importance to both of the clubs from past experiences. The Catalonia sides have shared players over the years.

"A derby is always special, but this one is even more so", Barça player Adolfo admitted. "I became a footballer at the Pavelló Nou, I feel from head to toe in Colome, I live 5 minutes from the venue and I am very excited to be able to participate of this important event for Industries and for the city of Santa Coloma ", he says. "Once the ball rolls all this no longer counts, a very complicated commitment awaits us and we will have to make a match 10 to win ”, he warned before the contest.

Barça have consistently obliterated the European scene of futsal and have ultimately made their Catalan neighbours look the more inferior side. An incessant success has developed as they hold 7 Copa del Reys and 3 of the distinguished UEFA Futsal Champions League titles.

However, the inevitable deterioration of achievements has sprang upon the giants this term, evident from their dismal 6-1 loss to now overall more decorated Spanish team Inter Movistar in the Copa de España final. Also, their double loss to arch nemesis is one to forget.

Consisting of formerly Barça players like number 2 goalkeeper Miguel Feixas, they embarrassingly lost to the more formidable side on both match days.

The stature and prominence of Barça was not reflected by these performances which were depleted by the outstanding Santa Coloma. A top tier side, who have only won LNFS once which came in the 1992/1993 campaign, have decisively beaten their millionaire rivals.

Prior to the match coach Javi Rodriguez outlined the significance of newly introduced fans (Santa Coloma fans have been absent for almost two years due to the stadium reform). This plan was a bid to establish Industrias Santa Coloma, to compete for titles in the First Division.

“We go back to our origins, start over, say again 'I'm at home'. I made my debut here at the age of 18 as a player, and now at 47 I am going tot make my debut as a coach in this new pavilion, remodelled, beautiful, but at the same time magical, such as the Santa Coloma pavilion ", said Javi Rodríguez. "It always gives much more prestige to inaugurate the remodeling of the pavilion against Barça, and it also gives much more prestige to win that match."

A side that inaugurated Spanish and European futsal has been reduced to a mid-table team throughout its existence but a step forward to challenge their Catalan rivals is the priority and they look in prime position to rise to the top again.

Inter Movistar: Success after Ricardinho's departure

The most decorated team in world futsal are continuing their staggering success even after the departure of superstar Portuguese player Ricardinho last year.

Based in the Spanish capital, they are the 2nd oldest futsal club in Spain and second to Industrias Santa Coloma. 10 different names the club has been under since they were founded in the year 1977.

A perpetual winning story throughout the club's history as we saw them remarkably win 14 Premier Division, 11 Copa de Españas and 5 UEFA futsal cups altogether.

Inter's most stunning spell of success came with the Portuguese trickster, attacker Ricardinho. He developed outshining supremacy at the club and winning 5 league titles on the bounce. The league campaigns were almost becoming monotonous and pointless to compete in for many Spanish futsal teams.

Ricardinho himself, combined the traits of football masterminds Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. An agile, diminutive player who stands at 5"6 (half an inch smaller than Messi) with a golden left foot who is also Portuguese with an abundance of unstoppable flair. 

This helped him to be outrageously named the winner of the futsal equivalent of the Ballon Dor in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, almost emulating his idol Ronaldo! The Magician also possesses the most individual awards of any futsal player which shows how much of a privilege he was to Inter Fútbol Sala.

A charismatic individual that has driven the team that surrounded him and left a legacy of passion to win once again as the 35-year-old departed to French club ACCS in 2020.

Inter Movistar have continued to be formidable in Spanish futsal this term despite fans pessimism and sadness following legend Ricardinho's exit.

Jesus Herrero has been in scintillating form for Inter especially in their most recent game against Barça in the final of the Copa de España where he only conceded one goal. During the duration of the season, he has let in only 37 goals, the same as the league leaders Levante.

Coach Tino Perez is extremely passionate and obsessed with winning which is evident in his fiery time outs. The replacement for Ricardinho this season has assisted Movistar's goalscoring threat in the form of number 10 Martinicorena who is the LNFS top scorer this season with 21 goals.

The combination of these individuals has meant that their is a continuation of growth at the club with the recent triumph of their 11th Copa de España title beating rivals Barcelona in their home city. Vice captain Borja said following the final: "We have been at an incredible level throughout the competition and in the final we have multiplied from start to finish."

Fundamentally, the team spirit has grown the club to solidify their defence and win big titles. Even with the absence of the most influential futsal individual, the Madrid club have certainly not stepped off the pace.

Copa de España Futsal 2021 Madrid Final

The two spots in the final to compete for the most prestigious trophy in world futsal have been claimed by 10 time winners of the Copa de España Inter FS and reigning champions of the competition Barcelona. This is a unique tournament as it spans over just 4 days in this case from 25th March to the 28th March, which develops a brutal schedule for the each of the sides in a physically demanding game like futsal.

The tournament is being held in Madrid this year and only features the current top 8 teams of the Spanish futsal top division including top of the tree Levante and Real Betis who are currently in 8th place.

Some mesmerising games have been on display throughout the cup as we saw Barcelona and Levante establish their superiority in the quarter finals. The Catalans advanced in thrilling fashion against 4 time victors El Pozo Murcia following a rare penalty save from Dídac in goal in the shootout.

The two winners from Friday's matches faced one another as Levante, the leaders of LNFS, contested Barça who are the most decorated side in the Copa de España. A commanding result from Barca especially in the second half as they accomplished the difficult task of overcoming The Frogs. Esteban Guerrero and Mario Rivillos fell to their old club despite their influential recent performances for Levante UD FS.

We saw the early afternoon kick off between Jimbee Cartegan and Inter FS in the first semi-final. Coach Duda's Cartagena conceded 41 goals compared to Inter's 36 goals against prior to this matchup despite Cartagena having two less games than their opponents. This was reflected as Inter FS kept a clean sheet and won 2-0 to deny Cartegena of their coveted trophy.

Who are the teams in the final?

The ten-time title winners Inter FS play Barca in the final who have never met in the Copa de España futsal final despite their several victories. Ferrao and Barcelona are looking to defend their title against a strong Inter side led by mastermind manager Gomez and a devastating pivot force of Martinicorena and Jean Costa.

How can I watch?

You can view this spectacular occasion on Teledeportivo in Spain or for English fans, you can watch it via https://facebook.com/ZonaTecnicaFutsal/…

When and where is the final?

The clash takes place at 19:45 UK time in the Spanish capital Madrid. 

You do not want to miss it!

Real Betis vs Levante UD Double Header

 

Real Betis and Levante competed in a double header this week after facing one another in two tight games in the Spanish top futsal and football flights.

Despite a dominant Betis display in the first half of the contest in LNFS, Levante opened the scoring with a sole role back to companion Gall who fired home for the leaders.

A tactically important decision followed from the Sevillan side's head coach Juan Antonio Garcia involving the introduction of the fly keeper. It resulted in an equaliser with two minutes remaining from Buendia's header.

Levante copied this strategy as in the dying second their fly keeper netted with 40 seconds left, driven by Marc Garcia's remarkable composure to pick out an incisive pass.

Levante FS are continuously climbing as their experienced players and their composure is evidently pushing them to consistent victories.

However on Friday, we saw Betis take their revenge in La Liga, where the sides were separated by a brilliant performance from Frenchman Nabil Fekir whose deceive goals ensured a 2-0 victory for the home side.

In the second half, Fekir displayed penetrating solo run through the Levante defence flawlessly and finished under Levante goalkeeper Fernandez in the 70th minute. He subsequently respectfully dedicated the goal to his left out teammate Cristian Tello following the sad passing of his father.

Shortly after, Real Betis extended their lead when Juanmi stabbed home a chance inside the 6-six-yard box despite two desperately spectacular saves from the Levante UD keeper.

Levante were defeated and slip back behind Grandada and Bilbao into 10th while Real Betis climb significantly into 6th in a bid to successfully retain their position in the Europa League qualification spot.

The Frogs manager Paco Lopez became the longest serving manager for the club with 129 official matches as head coach of Levante on Friday and appreciates their free week (after being the club with the most packed schedule in Europe) due to the international break. He said, "precisely the focus to improve on is the forcefulness and effectiveness in this area (final third)."

The battle between the uprising Spanish clubs continues as Levante Fútbol Sala are tasting the LNFS title.

Esteban: The Spanish International Propelling Leaders Levante FS

 

Esteban is the first player in Levante's history to achieve an international call up. At the end of 2020, he was deservedly selected to compete at the European Qualifiers for the Netherlands tournament in 2022. National team coach Fede Vidal summoned the Levante player in his list of pivots for these qualifiers against Latvia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Emerging from the depths of the Barcelona futsal youth system, the now Levantine forward has proved significant in the brilliant feat of topping the table at The Frogs. He has revolutionised the mentality of success after an astonishing prospect of knocking out his former club in the almighty Barcelona, out of one of last seasons' domestic cups.

The granotas have a serious chance  of winning this year's league title with newcomers such as Rivillos, who has already clinched the player of the month for February award, and the renowned 31-year-old is regarded as one of the most skilful and decorated Spaniards. This exceptional experienced addition to the side is topped off with Esteban.

Creative celebrations and rapid moves with the ball is some of the traits possessed by Esteban who has firmly marked his placed in Spanish futsal always being at the right place at the right time for Levante.

Recent games for the national team have outlined his value to each team he plays in, like against Slovenia where he contributed as their main supreme pivot in a 3-1 win.

Zaragoza and Barca have been his previous futsal clubs where he has played dominantly in the pivot role and gives off a sense of intimidation. In the current campaign, he has a 0.9 goal per game statistic and substantially more goal involvements than any player in the Levante side and 13 goals this season in LNFS which sees him 5th in the top scorers department as a 26-year-old, above Barcelona's credited futsal striker Ferraro.

Esteban seems excited about the future with his current club saying, "we have a great coach and the atmosphere that was generated between us since the pre-season was very well, one of our strengths is the work of strategy, examining the rivals to take advantage of their defects and minimise their strengths… We have a lot of variety and that gives us an advantage. Levante already had a very good season last year and those of us who have arrived want to improve it. With the good squad we have, it is an exciting challenge."

Levante have the chance to win their first league title in their history this season as they await 12 games in the coming months as they look to establish their comfortability at the top of LNFS. Can Esteban Guerrero prove to be the player that Levante needed as they seek glory?

Levante vs El Pozo

Saturday 27th February 2021     Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala

Levante 4-2 El Pozo Murcia

HT:3-0

Levante continue their unbeaten streak at the top as they beat El Pozo Murcia 4-2.

A very even clash between the 5 time first division champions El Pozo and flying-high Levante. Both teams with similar possession and seven fouls each.

Jorge Santos opened the scoring in the 14th minute after a slick pass to him as the pivot resulted in a fine finish to the right of the keeper.

Levante quickly followed up with another goal in the first half with three first time passes in the box falling to Torlan to smash pass the El Pozo goalkeeper.

Short after in the 19th minute just before half-time Rivillos struck for the home side after a skilful nutmeg.

The visitors however fought back in successive minutes with a goal from a corner and a stunner from Pol Pacheco as he cut inside with his left and finished high to close the gap.

A consolation goal for, the man in scintillating form, Esteban in the dying seconds which punished the fly keeper sealed Levante's sixth straight win in Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala.

The Frogs sit on 50 points at the top of the tree and face Jaen on the road next, while El Pozo face O Parrulo at home next in the league, both contests on 13th March 2021.

The Making of Levante UD

The La Liga side Levante have developed into a surprisingly formidable side within Spanish football and futsal. The team from Valencia are undoubtedly a dark-horse as they dish out shocking victories in Spain. 

Over the last decades, the Spanish top Leagues have been dominated by the likes of FC Barcelona or in futsal, teams like El Pozo Murcia or Inter Movistar. So how have Levante emerged to be all of a sudden a threatening side in Spain?

Levante is on Spain's east coast where the sun always rises which therefore made the club's name destined to be called Levante, with 'rise' in Spanish meaning 'levantar'. 

Their motto of 'Qué grande es ser pequeño' meaning 'How great it is to be small' relates to how the club with the lowest budget in La Liga is emphatically surviving at the pinnacle of competitive football. 

A huge influence to this was the introduction of former youth academy leader David Salavert in 2012. His idea was to assess individual players based on six specific criteria: physical, technical and tactical ability, psychology, personal values and environment. Combined with an exceptional expectation of positivity that he established, the club has developed unity from coaches to players through this programme producing players like Juanfran and now Villarreal midfielder Vicente Iborra.

Levante, nicknamed The Frogs, have been a forgotten team in Spanish Football despite legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff making a brief appearance at the club in 1981 which he himself described in his autobiography as 'after a brief passage through the Spanish Levante, I decided to return to Amsterdam'.

This unprecedented footballing scenario really was the building block to Levante's road to success in recent years after staying in Spain's second and third tier for an agonisingly long time.

In La Liga, they have always been contested by local rivals Valencia, who have proven to be the more superior team out of the two in the past, winning 22 out of their 29 La Liga bouts.

However, during the 2020/21 season Levante are contemporarily edging their rivals as they sit in 8th place within touching distance of the Europa League places.

They pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European Football last week as they demolished leaders Atlético Madrid to end Simeone's home unbeaten run from December 2019 after holding them at home in their prior match. This was in addition to a commanding display at the Bernabeu in January with a 2-1 win against holders Real where they averaged 53% possession. Unbeaten in 3 games against the Madrid teams this season!

Levante signed Jorge de Frutos on a five-year deal from Real Madrid last summer, who has had an instantaneous effect for Levante, now the top assister in La Liga this season with 7. Veteran Spaniard striker Jose Luis Morales has also been on staggering form with 10 goals this season.

Levante have been widely regarded as a more defensive minded team in La Liga but this season has especially been a different story as they've netted 34 goals which is 5th in La Liga in terms of this tally. 

Their constant threat during counter attacks and heroic individual defence have really influenced Levante's footballing miracles. Changing formations to suit the style of the opposition but to still continuously catch them out on the counter has propelled the morale at the club and flooded them with momentum as they continue to flourish.

They are edging towards their first ever Copa Del Rey Final this year as well, as they are level on aggregate with Athletic Bilbao from the first leg.

La Liga 2020/21 Season: Most Goals Scored

This has directly correlated to the form of their futsal team, Levante Futbol Sala, as they sit top of the Liga Nacional de Futbol Sala for the first time in their history. After five consecutive victories and win against Inter Movistar in mid-December, high-flying Levante FS could take it all this season in the Spanish futsal top division.

La Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala 2020/21:

Levante have brought in players such as ex-Barcelona sensation Esteban Guerrero who has proved to be a key asset to this team, contributing to penetrating one touch passes around the pitch and meticulous movements to deceive the opponents and create opportunities. 'Las Granotas' have averaged an eleven minutes per goal ratio and an extraordinary 75 goals in 21 matches which reinforces the intense offensive play in Spanish futsal.

The Valencian's success has been fundamentally due to all players expressing dominance and adaptability to all positions in possession as the middle position is essentially occupied throughout the game to drag defenders and open up space for teammates.

Futsal and Football have genuinely been astonished by the uprise of previously lacklustre Levante. They are now dominating the Spanish top flights and one of the first teams to pull off the Madrid Football double in La Liga. Will Levante become a Spanish European Giant in the Future?