Palma Futsal was born as a humble project in Manacor, the Majorcan city that the tennis player Rafael Nadal has put on the world map with his 22 Grand Slam titles, and has grown at a dizzying rate until last Sunday he became the surprising champion of Europe in its first participation in the highest continental futsal competition.
They made history by defeating the powerful Portuguese Sporting Club in a penalty shootout (5-3), in a dramatic final, with extra time and a lot of tension on the Illes Balears Velodrome track. Tears overflowed among the members of the Mallorcan team as soon as the penalty shootout ended, which ended with a 1-1 tie on the scoreboard.
The feat of signing with gold letters the victory that confirms them as the best team on the continent was celebrated with great emotion on the field in a velodrome that sold out the capacity of 5,200 spectators. The Spanish five had to suffer until the end to celebrate the first title in their history against a two-time European champion Portuguese team, full of internationals and who reached the final after beating Belgian Anderlecht 7-1.
Nadal, precisely, had made a video to support the club founded in 1998 under the name of Fisiomedia Manacor before his participation in the final four: “All the strength in the world, fight until the end and it is ‘El somni de tots” ( Everyone’s dream), was the message of the award-winning Spanish athlete.
The first title in its history had a special dedication: to Miquel Jaume, its founder and first president, who died in 2021, who was the architect of the creation of a club capable of challenging and defeating the powerful Portuguese teams Benfica SL and Sporting Clube. at the Illes Balears Velodrome.
He reached the final four without titles in the Spanish competition, nor experience on European courts, but with the excessive enthusiasm of the rookie willing to make history against rivals that quintupled his budget. And he did it by lifting the most prestigious Cup on the continent against all odds.
Mallorca Palma Futsal debuted that year in Europe as runner-up in the League last season and finalist in the Copa del Rey in 2016. It was all his baggage from his first forays into national competitions -First National B- under the name of Physiomedia Manacor.
It was the first military team in any sport in the Manacorense region in a national category, until its professionalization in 2006 and the first promotion to the Division of Honor in the 2007-2008 season. The entity, then, was not prepared to make such a spectacular leap in category.
The lack of facilities in Manacor and the loss of commitment from the institutions forced him to emigrate to the capital, Palma, where he found the necessary help -from the fans, sponsors and public entities- to become one of the best soccer teams. Spain room.
Its roots in Mallorca are of such magnitude, that it has even expanded its sports field, giving shelter to Urbia Voley Palma of the Men’s Super League volleyball.
Coach Antonio Vadillo’s Palma Futsal has more than 3,000 subscribers, an unprecedented figure for an entity dedicated solely and exclusively to futsal, and which lacks the support of powerful clubs such as Barça, Benfica, Sporting and Anderlecht, among others.
“Lifting the ‘Champions’ in Palma would be a dream,” declared José Tirado, general manager of the Mallorcan five before facing the final four. The European dream is already a reality and the club and its fans celebrate it as a feat of these characteristics deserves.
