Dentinho: 'We are not favorites, but we have the opportunity to surprise with our game'

2024-10-22 08:05 © zalgiris.lt

"Kauno Žalgirio” futsal team is preparing for the UEFA Futsal Champions League main stage matches. From October 23 to 26, the Žalgiris team will compete in Catania (Italy) for a place in the Elite stage against teams from Austria, Italy, and Luxembourg.

Back in August, the Kaunas team learned about their future opponents in the Main stage. "Kauno Žalgiris” will face Luxembourg's "FC Differdange 03,” Austria's "FC Diamant Linz,” and Italy's "Catania C/5” teams.

"Kauno Žalgirio” head coach Dentinho stated that the team has prepared well for these matches. According to the coach, a lot of attention was paid to the newcomers during the preparation period, and there was an effort to find a balance between the team's defense and attack.

"Since the start of the season, we have definitely improved. We played well in the Baltic futsal league, where we saw our strengths and weaknesses. We have a strong group of players who work hard to achieve the best results in the Champions League,” – Dentinho spoke about the preparations.

The first match for "Kauno Žalgiris” in the Champions League will take place on October 23 against "FC Differdange 03.” The coach of the green and whites mentioned that this is a team that dominates in their country.

"This team has been playing together for a long time, is well organized. I think we need to overcome the nerves of the first match, focus on the details, maybe even make a few mistakes, and win this match,” – Dentinho shared his thoughts about the first game.

The team's next match will be on October 24 against the Austrian team "FC Diamant Linz,” and on October 26, the Žalgiris players will compete in the last match of the Champions League Main stage against Italy's "Catania C/5.”

"The Austrian team has many strong and quality players, but we have those too. I think our second match will be quite even. Our last game will be against the Italian champions. It is a very strong team, and we will have to play at a high level if we want to advance to the next stage,” – spoke the Žalgiris coach about the upcoming opponents.

The "Kauno Žalgirio” team aims to earn a place in the Elite stage of this year's Champions League. In the club's history, the Žalgiris team has reached the Elite stage twice. Dentinho mentioned that the team will strive to do everything possible for the name "Kauno Žalgiris” to be among the 16 best futsal teams in Europe this year.

"Our expectations are high. We know that we are not the favorites, but we have the opportunity to surprise with our game. We have been training hard for this moment, and I hope we can implement everything in practice,” – said Dentinho. "The biggest challenge for us is ourselves. We know our capabilities, but winning or losing is part of every game. By playing our game at the best level, we greatly increase our chances of victories, and that’s what we will aim for this week.”

Match schedule:

October 23, 18:00 (LT time): "Kauno Žalgiris” – "FC Diamant Linz”;

October 24, 18:00 (LT time): "FC Differdange 03” – "Kauno Žalgiris”;

October 26, 21:30 (LT time): "Catania C/5” – "Kauno Žalgiris.”