In a packed Son Moix arena with 4,000 spectators, Palma Futsal delivered a commanding 5-1 victory over Barcelona yesterday. Overtaking their rivals to claim provisional leadership of Spain’s First Division. Though they’ve played one more match than their competitors, the Mallorca-based club now sits atop the league standings, having also secured the head-to-head advantage against Barcelona.
The victory comes at a pivotal moment, just six days before the team’s most important fixture of the year the UEFA Futsal Champions League Final Four, where they’ll pursue an unprecedented third consecutive European title.
Match
The match began with an emotional surprise orchestrated by the club and players’ families. Just before taking the court, the players and coaching staff were joined in the locker room by their children, spouses, and parents, who led the traditional pre-game chant of “one, two, three, win!” The moment was filled with embraces, tears, kisses, drawings, photos, and video calls a perfect gift ahead of this crucial week in the Balearic team’s history.
The two-time European champions appear to be hitting peak form just in time for their continental challenge. On Friday, May 2nd, at 9:00 PM in Lemans’ Antarés arena, they’ll face Portugal’s Sporting CP in the second semifinal. Sporting’s coach, Nuno Dias, was in attendance at Son Moix to witness Palma’s victory over Barcelona the team’s 21st consecutive undefeated home performance. Notably, the 5-1 scoreline mirrored their Champions League final triumph against the same opponent in Armenia in 2024.
Remarkable
Palma’s league statistics are remarkable. With 59 points, they’ve collected 28 points from the last 36 available and haven’t suffered a defeat in 12 match days. Palma Futsal manager Antonio Vadillo defended his team’s position at the summit: “It’s no coincidence. We’ve been at this for nearly ten months, and if we’re leading, it’s on our own merit. I believe it’s thoroughly deserved. This is a tremendous morale boost ahead of what’s coming. Now we need to rest, enjoy the victory, and focus on what’s ahead. Friday’s match against Sporting will be extremely challenging.”
The semifinal will pit the winners of four of the last six UEFA Futsal Champions League titles against each other. The teams’ most recent encounter occurred last summer during Palma’s preseason at the XII Ciutat de Palma – Memorial Miquel Jaume tournament, where the Balearic side claimed a 5-4 victory at Son Moix. In just their third European campaign, the club aims to become the first to win the trophy three consecutive times. Currently, Playas de Castellón (winners of the inaugural finals in 2002 and 2003) and Movistar Inter (2017 and 2018) share the record with two successive victories.
Following the UEFA Futsal Champions League, Palma will face another Final Four challenge the Copa del Rey in Cartagena on May 17-18, where they’ll meet Jaén Paraíso Interior in the semifinal. The other semifinal pits Movistar Inter against Servigroup Peñíscola. The Castellón-based team, having already defeated Palma in the Copa de España final in Murcia, represents a significant obstacle to Palma’s league title aspirations. Particularly with their upcoming match against Barcelona on May 10.
Marco Falcone 
Ivan Fanucci