Luxol St Andrews face a demanding challenge in the UEFA Futsal Champions League Main Round after the completion of the preliminary stage confirmed their opponents in Group 7.

The Maltese champions will be joined by Italian champions L84 Torino, Denmark’s Hjørring Futsal Klub and Finnish side Futsal Mad Max.

Hjørring qualified as winners of Preliminary Round Group B, while Futsal Mad Max secured their place after topping Group H.

Group 7 forms part of Path B, meaning there will be little margin for error as only the group winner will advance to the Round of 16.

The mini-tournament will be staged in Italy, giving L84 Torino home advantage and adding to the scale of the task awaiting Luxol.

Club official Mireille Vella believes the Maltese champions have been handed a particularly challenging group, with L84 expected to start as favourites.

Italian champions pose major threat

L84 Torino enter the competition as the reigning 2025-26 Italian Serie A champions after securing their first national title by defeating Meta Catania 4-3 in the decisive third match of the championship final.

Their triumph returned the Scudetto to Torino after a 27-year absence and underlined the quality and depth of the squad Luxol will encounter.

Rather than resting on their domestic success, L84 have strengthened their ranks ahead of their European campaign.

Among their additions is experienced Italian-Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Dalcin, who joined from Feldi Eboli after a successful spell with the club and represented Italy at Euro 2026.

They have also recruited promising Italian youngster Alessandro Licco following his important contribution to MGM 2000’s promotion campaign.

“L84 are not only the hosts. They are the reigning Italian champions and have a very strong and competitive squad,” Vella said.

“They are naturally the favourites on paper, but this is futsal and anything can happen over three matches.”

Hjørring and Mad Max add to challenge

Hjørring Futsal Klub will provide another significant test after progressing from the preliminary round.

The Danish side are characterised by their physical approach, intensity and strong defensive organisation and have demonstrated their ability to compete on the European stage.

Futsal Mad Max, meanwhile, head to Italy as Finnish champions following an impressive 2025-26 domestic campaign.

They captured the Futsal-Liiga championship by defeating Akaa Futsal 5-2 in the decisive fifth match of the final.

The Finnish side possess a disciplined and hard-working team, combining aggressive pressing with an ability to retain possession and apply pressure high up the court.

With only one qualification place available, Vella acknowledged the difficulty of Luxol’s assignment but stressed that the Maltese champions will travel to Italy determined to compete.

“It is certainly a very difficult group, but we have to believe in ourselves,” she said.

“It is a three-match tournament and anything can happen. We will go to Torino prepared and ready to compete.”

Luxol step up preparations

Luxol are already working towards the Main Round under coach Gabriel Dobre, with preparations focused on meeting the demands of high-level European futsal.

Vella also highlighted the contribution of physical trainer Rodrigo Grigio and the club’s medical team, particularly in ensuring the players are physically prepared and reducing the risk of injuries.

“Gabriel has been doing an excellent job preparing the players for the demands of high-level European futsal,” Vella said.

“The work of Rodrigo is also extremely important, particularly in terms of physical preparation, warm-ups and injury prevention. We know the level we are going into and we have to make sure that every aspect of our preparation is at its best.”

Luxol will therefore head to Torino knowing they face a formidable task, particularly against the Italian champions on home soil.

However, their previous experience in European competition should serve them well as they attempt to challenge L84, Hjørring and Futsal Mad Max for the sole place in the Round of 16.