Deco confirms participation in Premier Futsal

Deco is the first marquee football player to confirm his participation in the league. The franchise he will play for is to be decided during the player draft.

Deco is one of very few players to have won the UEFA Champions League with two clubs – FC Porto and Barcelona.

Former Portugal midfielder Deco, has signed a three-year deal to play in Premier Futsal, the world’s first-ever multi-national Futsal league.

He is the first marquee football player to confirm his participation in the league. The franchise he will play for is to be decided during the player draft.

“I’m looking forward to play in Premier Futsal. I grew up playing futsal on the streets. It’s where I picked up the skills that laid the foundation for my success on the international stage and served me well throughout my career. So in a sense I’m returning to my roots. I can’t wait to see how I match up against seasoned futsallers who have dedicated their entire career to the shorter, more intense format of the game,” said Deco on his participation.

Deco is one of very few players to have won the UEFA Champions League with two clubs – FC Porto and Barcelona. He has won numerous accolades including the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2003-04 in a decorated international career that spanned more than a decade.

Premier Futsal president Luis Figo said on the signing, “It gives me a great amount of joy to welcome Deco to Premier Futsal. We go back a long way, having shared the dressing room for Portugal during our playing careers. He has great talent, skill and ability as is evident from his storied international career which, I am confident, will add a whole lot to the quality of play in Premier Futsal’s inaugural year. We are all extremely delighted to have him.”

The league, which is set to begin on July 15, will feature over 50 International futsallers from 21 countries. Each franchise will be assigned a marquee international football player, seven international, and five Indian futsallers through a player draft scheduled later this month.