Resilience will be crucial for the England men’s futsal team as they begin their UEFA 2026 Euros main-round qualifying campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday. The team and staff are no strangers to resilience, having faced numerous challenges since the Football Association cut all funding for elite futsal four years ago.
The upcoming match in Zenica marks the first for the senior men’s team since 2019. Stuart Cook, a veteran with over 80 caps and one of England’s finest futsal players, reflects on the journey: “It’s been difficult getting to a point many people thought would never happen.”
Although the FA provides funds for coaching development to England Futsal, which was established in 2022 as an FA partner, national teams receive no financial support. To cover the £183,000 needed for home and away ties against Bosnia, Switzerland, and Spain, England Futsal launched an online appeal, raising £95,000. Despite a £25,000 shortfall by the October 25 deadline, the team remains committed to participation.
Players have taken matters into their own hands, setting up GoFundMe pages similar to those used by the Lionesses before their FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup qualifiers. Both squads have contributed from their own pockets to cover kit and training camp costs, with England Futsal offering a hardship fund for those unable to afford it.
“Friends and family shouldn’t be paying for us to represent England, but that’s the reality,” says Cook. “It’s also an opportunity for futsal to stand alone. We’ve always wanted to make this sport successful on its own. This is our best shot.”
Cook, who is also a player-coach at Bolton Futsal Club and co-host of The English Futsal Podcast, remains close to former teammate Max Kilman. While Kilman is currently focused on his Premier League career, Cook believes he will eventually contribute to futsal’s growth.
Jamie Brooker, the youngest squad member at 19, acknowledges the fundraising process has been “uncomfortable,” but he sees the off-court struggles as a source of mental strength for the team. “When times are hard and a positive outcome looks unlikely, we stick together. We can definitely take that into games.”
While simply fulfilling the fixtures may feel like a victory, Cook and Brooker are optimistic about the team’s competitiveness, especially with players like Jordan Edge and Liam Palfreeman. They hope the home games at Loughborough University will serve as a springboard for futsal in England.
“We want to help give the next generation what we didn’t have,” says Brooker. “There’s a real buzz around the men’s and women’s national teams, and we need to use that energy to push futsal further.”
For Cook, who is 38 and may soon retire, the goal is clear: “Most importantly, we want to win. But we also need to be positive ambassadors to help futsal become more than just a development tool for football. Representing England has been the pinnacle of my career, and I feel like it was taken away from me with injuries and budget cuts. So we want to show everyone our ability to come back, again and again.”
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
