Tournament review

UEFA message FSS President's message 'Pleasure and pride' Great memories and a lasting legacy European futsal was at the top of its game as record crowds in Belgrade enjoyed an exceptional tournament Serbia will build on the success of a competition that has inspired the next generation GIORGIO MARCHETTI UEFA director of competitions It is with great pleasure that we can reflect with pride on UEFA Futsal EURO 2016 in this final tournament <strong>review</strong>. The 20 matches at the Arena of Belgrade brought diverse styles of play but unrelenting quality and high drama. While the winning team was a familiar one, the strength in depth of European futsal proved to be in excellent health. The continent's finest teams and players provided a great deal of inspiration both via global broadcasts and locally, where the total finals attendance reached six figures for the first time in the competition's history. Five days were sell-outs, and hopefully some of the 113,820 spectators who revelled in the action in Serbia will be inspired to participate in the sport in the future. The involvement of the community in organising the tournament was another of its special features and we would like to thank the "The strength in depth of European futsal proved to be in excellent health" Football Association of Serbia (FSS) and its president, Tomislav Karadžić, for their excellent cooperation in staging the finals, which we hope will leave a lasting and significant legacy in the country. Congratulations go to Spain, whose final win over Russia not only extended their unparalleled success in the competition but also marked their 27th victory in a row since losing to the same opponents in the semi-finals in 2014. We envisage more of the same quality in Slovenia in 2018 and, to whet the appetite for that event, we hope you will enjoy reflecting on all the drama of the Belgrade finals. TOMISLAV KARADŽIĆ Football Association of Serbia president Hosting UEFA Futsal EURO 2016 has been an exhilarating and enriching experience, not only for the Football Association of Serbia but also for society, beyond the sporting arena. Supporters from Serbia arrived in their droves to cheer their national team and to support the tournament as a whole, and coach Aca Kovačević and his team generated further enthusiasm with the quality of their performances on their way to the semi-finals. Future generations were also closely involved with the tournament. Youth teams from around the country competed for the right to play at the Arena of Belgrade during the finals, and schoolchildren contributed to the sustainability guide, showing our commitment to leaving a legacy long after the lifting of the trophy. Our congratulations go to everyone who took part – not only the 12 teams and especially "UEFA Futsal EURO 2016 has been an exhilarating and enriching experience" the winning team, Spain – but also to the team behind the scenes who worked tirelessly to make the event a success. That includes all the volunteers, without whom it would not have been possible. Through everyone’s work, we hope to have repaid UEFA’s faith in us and thank them for their support and confidence. Our objective now is to build further on the success of this final tournament to deliver more great times ahead for both futsal and football in Serbia. We hope that you enjoy looking back over this absorbing chapter in our history in this <strong>review</strong> of the tournament. 4 SERBIA 2016 TOURNAMENT REVIEW 5