Alarm in futsal: after the split between Inter and Movistar, Betis closes its section despite being promoted to the First Division

Futsal fans in Spain have been on edge lately. While the sport is enjoying a brilliant moment on the court , with more equality than ever and some of the world's greatest talents showing off their magic in arenas across the country, a couple of news items have generated much concern about what they might mean. The first was the announcement of the end of the relationship between Inter and its main sponsor, Movistar , a two-decade-long symbiosis that produced countless sporting successes, just after the Madrid team won the Copa del Rey . And the second, made public this Friday although it had been known for some time, was the dissolution of Betis' futsal section despite having achieved promotion to the top flight.

The visibility crisis that this sport has experienced in the last five years, the final consequence of the latest and fierce skirmish between the National Futsal League (LNFS) and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has increased the doubts of sponsors and patrons, who no longer see the benefits of investing their money in futsal as clearly and prefer to invest in other activities even when clubs like Inter or Betis achieve notable success on the court.

Bad news that adds to other organizational earthquakes, such as the RFEF's decision to abolish the Spanish Club Championships , with the exception of the men's Under-19, and the Spanish Regional Team Championships in the Under-10 and Under-19 categories . A measure that provoked the ire of hundreds of clubs and entities, totally opposed to the elimination of what they consider fundamental foundations of this sport, and who joined together in a joint protest under the title "Futsal is not to be touched", with which they managed to convince the federation president, Rafa Louzán, to open up to a possible debate.

Real Betis Balompié announced this Friday the closure of its futsal section, a sport that has been part of its structure since 2016. This is a consequence of its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan , presented at the General Shareholders' Meeting, which, in its point 8, referred to a "financially sustainable Betis multi-sport facility." After studying different options that would allow the team to continue competing, this "difficult decision" was made.

The Verdiblancos' ties to futsal date back to 2013 , when Real Betis signed a collaboration agreement with Fútbol Sala Nazareno. Three years later, in 2016, the team was officially integrated into the Verdiblancos' structure. Since then, Real Betis Futsal has grown through the national leagues, achieving promotion to the Second Division in 2015 and, later, to the First Division in the 2019-20 season, a campaign in which it achieved its first qualification for the Copa del Rey Final Four.

In the 2023-24 season, Real Betis Fusal won its first national title by winning the Copa del Rey after defeating Jimbee Cartagena on penalties in the final at the Palacio de los Deportes de San Pablo in Seville. This title allowed the club to compete in the Final Four of the 2025 Spanish Super Cup, where they reached the final after defeating ElPozo Murcia in the semifinals.

They did so as a Second Division team, having shone in the Copa del Rey while failing to establish themselves consistently in the league. However, this season they had earned their return to the top flight by being crowned champions of the second division. But ultimately, it has done nothing to make the club reconsider its decision.