Marc Carmona to stay on until 2017

FC Barcelona futsal coach Marc Carmona has reached an agreement to stay at the club for a further two seasons through to until June 2017.

“I am very happy” he said after announcing the deal. “I thank the president and all the board, especially Javier Bordas. They have always put their faith in me and that’s very important for a coach. I have always said that it’s a luxury to work here, where everyone looks after you so well.”

Carmona took over the side when it was in the Second Division and under his guidance has built the team into a world-beater. Bordas, the director responsible for the futsal section, said “we decided to do what is best for Barça, and what is best for Barça is for Marc Carmona to stay. There may be elections this year, but we know what’s best for the club.”

Asked what his fondest memories of the job have been, Carmona named “Gáldar, Segovia, Lleida and Murcia. Those were the four greatest sporting achievements, but it’s also just so nice to see the Palau packed … Barça fans are highly appreciative of what this section is doing for the club.”

As for the future, the coach said that “we have a very difficult but also very nice challenge ahead. We need to rebuild a team that has won practically everything in the last four years. And we need to be a winning team again … This story started many years ago and under very different conditions. Those who were here at the beginning always dreamt about getting where we are now.”

Since taking over the team, Carmona has led his players to 17 trophies, including three leagues and three cups, plus wins in four editions of the Copa del Rey and two UEFA Futsal Cups. And to think that not so long ago, in 2006/07, the team was just happy to have made into the top flight for the first time. By 2010/11, Barça were able to brush aside all-comers by completing the domestic treble, and adding the Copa Catalunya to boot. A season later they were celebrating their first win in the sport’s equivalent of the Champions League, the UEFA Futsal Cup, in Lleida. Last season, Carmona led the side to its second continental crown.