First champions, now Champions League: Kobbie Mainoo's old club Manchester Futsal are making history

ITV Granada's Sport Correspondent David Chisnall reports on the rise of Manchester Futsal Club


Manchester is renowned for it's success in football.

Now, there's another treble-winning team in the city hoping to create their own dynasty - in futsal.

Formed in 2006, Manchester Futsal Club have just enjoyed their greatest ever season completing a domestic treble to become national champions and qualify for next season's UEFA Futsal Champions League.

The club's co-founder and Chief Executive Simon Wright says: "It's historic. We've been working towards this moment for around about 18 years now.

"Ultimately it's the biggest stage that we are now going to arrive upon, to go on into European competition, to be at a level where we're going to be competing against semi-pro, potentially professional clubs. So it's a big step."


What is futsal?

Developed in Uruguay in the 1930s, futsal is a five-a-side game played indoors on a smaller pitch to 11-a-side football.

The limited space means players must develop their technique and skill to be successful.

Unlike in many other countries the game here is still amateur, although plenty of professional footballers have played in their past.


Co-founder Ilya Ovechkin added: "When I came to England when I was 15, I always wanted to play futsal.

"In and around there was nothing available so when I met Simon I said, 'let's just start a futsal club'.

"The rest is history and now Manchester Futsal Club is in the Champions League."

Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo grew up playing futsal Credit: PA

Manchester United and England's Kobbie Mainoo credits playing futsal with his comfort on the ball.

The 19-year-old played with Manchester Futsal Club when he was younger but he's not the only talented youngster coming through the professional football ranks to come through the club's doors.

Academy coach Raducio King says: "Kobbie is obviously the one high profile player at the moment, but we had Zidane Iqbal, Callum Doyle from Manchester City, also Micah Hamilton.

"We had many more players like James Balagizi from Liverpool too. Through that pathway to create that flair, that creativity eventually leads them to go and play 11-a-side.

"You can see with Kobbie how comfortable he is on the ball."

Manchester Futsal Club's Jordan Edge in action Credit: The FA National Futsal Series

Manchester Futsal Club's first team plays at the National Cycling Centre.

The club has around 200 members including a women's team and academy. One of those graduates, Jordan Edge from Warrington is now their captain.

Jordan says: "Incredible game. More football players should try it out, it's one of them games it's really tight, it's compact and you're always on the ball.

"A lot of players in football don't like it and go off it because you don't see much of the ball in 90 minutes. Futsal is the complete opposite."

The club will find out who they face in the UEFA Futsal Champions League when the draw is made on 4 July.

Coach Samuel Richardson says: "More than anything else it's about trying to put futsal on the map and making Manchester one of those places that people associate futsal with.

"Obviously, we're a football city. Everyone knows that, we want to make it where people say Manchester and they also think of futsal."