Murata are in Budapest to begin their adventure in the UEFA Futsal Champions League. San Marino’s champions will compete in Group D of the Preliminary Round, with their opening match scheduled for Tuesday 25 August at 7pm against hosts Ujpest.
The black-and-white side arrive at this European appointment after several changes compared to last season, but with the same goal of fighting for a place in the next round. “In recent months Murata have changed a great deal, but the desire to make an impression in Europe remains unchanged,” reads the club statement.
The reference is also to the run achieved a year ago, when the team — then coached by Spada — came agonisingly close to qualification, winning two of their three matches. “This year, Screti’s Bianconeri will first and foremost look to draw inspiration from those achievements, setting off on a path that will not lack for challenges.”
Besides Murata, the group includes Kosovo’s Drenica, Turkey’s Sakarya Karasu and Hungary’s Ujpest. It is the Hungarian side who will be San Marino’s first opponents at the Amália Sterbinszky Sports Hall in Budapest, with kick-off set for 7pm on Tuesday 25 August.
The schedule continues just a day later, on Wednesday 26 August at 4pm, when Murata will take on Drenica. Their final fixture comes on Friday 28 August at 3pm against Sakarya Karasu, in the match that will close out the mini-tournament.
The format leaves little room for error: only the team finishing top of Group D will advance to the Main Round. Three matches, then, in which Murata will look to extend their European journey and build further on what they achieved last season.
