Aberdeen Futsal Academy have discovered their group for the preliminary round of the Uefa Champions League.
The recently-crowned Scottish futsal champions are in group F – with FC Diamant Linz of Austria, AEK Limassol of Cyprus and AEK Futsal Club of Athens, Greece – following Thursday’s draw at the Continental governing body’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Diamant Linz will serve as hosts for the preliminary group games, set to be held in Austria between August 20 and 25.
Former Highland League footballer Grant Campbell – who turned out for Wick Academy, Huntly, Cove Rangers and Fraserburgh during his football career, and only founded Aberdeen Futsal Academy in late 2022 – thinks it is a “brilliant draw” to kick-off his club’s European debut.
He said: “When you look at it from a players’ point of view, it’s a chance to go to Austria, and to play against the Austrian, Greek and Cypriot champions – that’s a level of experience I’ve never been given in football.
“I’ve had great experiences, but never the opportunity to play in the Uefa Champions League against champions from other countries.
“There are some clips in the Whatsapp group already of some of the Cypriot fans, and it looks like it will be some occasion, one way or another!”
Campbell added: “From a club perspective, we are so determined to get youth futsal and leagues up and running this winter, and it could’ve been a lot worse than Austria in terms of cost to get to.
“From an experience, and from a logistical and cost point of view, it’s a fantastic draw.”
‘We’ll back ourselves to match up player against player’
Campbell will be one of 13 or 14 Aberdeen Futsal Academy players, as well as likely four club officials, who will travel to Linz for the Champions League games.
It won’t be a “small operation” with Uefa regulations requiring a lot of “attention”, according to Campbell.
There is some Uefa funding to Champions League participants, which will help cover the Granite City outfit’s travel to Austria.
From a financial point of view, the academy have received “fantastic” support from headline club sponsor OEG Energy Group.
With father-of-four Campbell eager for the club to expand to provide the level of futsal opportunities to youngsters which are available to kids elsewhere in Scotland, this cash backing will also help them set up a youth coaching clinic and planned youth leagues this winter.
Before those initiatives will come the European adventure, and on the preliminary round prospects for his team, which also includes the likes of former Cove Rangers defender Alan Redford and ex-Keith attacker Jamie Lennox, Campbell said: “It could go either way.
“We played our first futsal match as a club 18 months ago. We won the Aberdeen league and then went into the national league – I don’t think anyone would’ve given us a half-chance of winning that given how established some of the teams and clubs are.
“But we’ve obviously got a lot of players with a lot of experience on the football side and the mentality, which definitely carried us through.
“We’re under no illusions – you look at how tough it’s been for Scottish clubs in the past going into Europe, but I don’t think we’ll be going away thinking it’s a lost cause.
“It’s going to be an unbelievable experience, and we’ll back ourselves to match up player against player, and if we get found wanting, then so be it.
“It won’t be for a lack trying or desire or belief – that’s for sure.”
Futsal opportunities ‘are quite incredible’
The team who top the group F table in Linz will progress to path B group 8 of the Champions League’s main round, and a section which will definitely include Lithuania’s Kalino Zalgiris and Luxembourg’s FC Differdange 03, as well as either Hjørring Futsal Klub of Denmark, Europa FC of Gibraltar, Norway’s Utleira Idrettslag or Italy’s Catania C/5 from preliminary round group E.
Those subsequent main round group games are scheduled for late October.
Campbell insists Aberdeen Futsal Academy’s players are not getting ahead of themselves.
He said: “I’ve not looked too much at the subsequent stage – just negotiating this first stage will be the key.
“The one thing I hope is footballers in the region at both adult and youth level see from this is the opportunity which exists in a sport that’s probably not had the exposure in Scotland it deserves.
“We’ve had players play internationally, we’re now going to have our club playing on the European stage… The opportunities in the sport are quite incredible and are there for people to access.”
Conversation