Barcelona futsal heroes' Camp Nou salute

FC Barcelona's UEFA Futsal Cup victory was saluted by 68,000 fans at the Camp Nou on Wednesday before the football side's Liga encounter with Málaga CF.

Barcelona took the trophy for the first time on Sunday with a 3-1 defeat of MFK Dinamo Moskva at the Pavelló Barris Nord in Lleida and returned to their home city to take a salute on the Camp Nou pitch. Wearing T-shirts commemorating their title, the players and Marc Carmona's coaching staff received an ovation from the supporters and were pictured on the turf next to the cup.

Club president Sandro Rosell said: "It's another step in continuing to make history. Things do not happen by chance, there are many people who have been working towards this. Our goal is to reap the fruits of work done while planting for those to come.

"Being a Barça fan is synonymous with suffering. We suffered, but winning the way we did gives you more value. A few years ago we focused on that section and now we are reaping the fruits of what we sowed."

The futsal win means that all of Barcelona's male professional sections have now won European titles following successes in football, basketball, handball, roller hockey and ice hockey. "This makes us a much bigger club," Rosell added. "Barça continue to grow. This is the most beloved cup because it was missing from the museum."

Having beaten Dinamo on Sunday, there was a swift return to league action 48 hours later when Barcelona won 5-3 at UD Puertollano to move to within two points of leaders ElPozo Murcia FS, the leading duo certain to be the top pair of seeds in the eight-team championship play-offs.