APOEL defeated by Tirana in UEFA Futsal Champions League opener

APOEL suffered an 8-6 defeat against Tirana Futsal in their opening match of the UEFA Futsal Champions League preliminary round held in Albania on August 26, 2026. The Nicosia team started strongly, taking an early 3-1 lead with Fagundes scoring a hat-trick. However, the momentum shifted significantly as Tirana responded with six unanswered goals to take an 8-3 advantage.

Despite a late effort from APOEL, including two goals from Tzakidis and one from Dos Santos, the team could not overcome the deficit. The match also saw the expulsion of Pereira in the 39th minute. Only the winner of this four-team group, which also includes Hjørring Futsal Klub from Denmark and Futsal Club Cardiff from Wales, will advance to the next stage of the tournament.

APOEL now looks ahead to their remaining group matches. They are scheduled to face Hjørring on Thursday, August 27, and will conclude their campaign against Cardiff on Saturday, August 29. The team must win these upcoming fixtures to maintain any remaining hopes of advancing in the competition.