“I love this club, I love this project”

Back to the roots: After three years in Veszprém (Hungary) and three years in Ciudad Real (Spain) World class right winger, Mirza Dzomba, returns to his home country Croatia and joins his former club, Croatia Osiguranje-Zagreb. With Dzomba and players such as Igor Vori (coming from Barcelona), Denis Spoljaric (from Celje), Dragan Jerkovic (from Schaffhausen) or the Macedonian Kiril Lazarov (from Veszprém), the Croatian champion launches a three-year plan. The objective is clear: Champions League title.

Zagreb played four finals so far, but could never win the title in 90’s. Dzomba is an even more unlucky figure. No other player lost more Champions League finals: Dzomba had to assist five celebrations until 2006 when his CL dreams have become reality. He won his first trophy with Ciudad Real, after losing three times with Zagreb, once with Veszprém and once with Ciudad.

The 30-year old Dzomba has two big objectives: winning the Champions League the World Championship in 2009 when Croatia will be the organiser country. Dzomba talks about his future in Zagreb in an exclusive interview with eurohandball.com.

Eurohandball.com: You played in one of the best clubs in the world. Why did you change to Zagreb?

Dzomba: I love my country, I love this club and I love the project they launched in Zagreb. They called famous Croatian players back to their country and all the great players returned. We will have a great team that is also very important for the future of our national team. We nearly all play together in one club.

Eurohandball.com: What is your first impression after some weeks of preparations?

Dzomba: There’s great atmosphere in the team and in the club. It’s normal that we need some time to reach 100 percent with so many new players in Zagreb. But most of them play together in the national team, they know each other and after a couple of months we will be on the level everybody expects from us. We will improve day by day, we just need some time.

Eurohandball.com: The Croatian league begins next week. This should be an easy start for Zagreb…

Dzomba: Yes, of course. We are the hot favourites as our opponents are not so strong. This is one of the reasons why the good Croatian players returned to Zagreb. In all the other countries, such as Germany, Spain or Hungary, the national league matches are very demanding, you have to give everything. In Croatia, the league should not be the problem as we have been champions since 1991. We can relax a bit and concentrate on Champions League.

Eurohandball.com: So your objective is to win the Champions league again?

Dzomba: Yes. Maybe not in this year, but I have a three-year contract, and I want to reach the final again. I lost five finals and won only one. As I’m 30 already, I hope to have a chance to win again.

Eurohandball.com: How far do you think you will get in the Champions League with a completely new Zagreb?

Dzomba: Our first objective is to reach the main round. I think we are strong enough to be first or second in our group. After that everything is possible. We are not the favourites, but I think from January on, we will be ready for the challenge. Let’s see, what will happen then.

Eurohandball.com: Why did most of the world class Croatian players play in Spain and not in Germany?

Dzomba (smiles): We love the Mediterranean atmosphere as we come from Southern Europe. This kind of lifestyle belongs more to Spain then to Germany.

Eurohandball.com: The “project Zagreb” is not yet completed. Which other players should also return?

Dzomba: The club wants to sign another three top class Croatian players: Ivano Balic from Portland, Blazenko Lackovic from Flensburg and Petar Metlicic from Ciudad Real. As Metlicic has just extended his contract in Spain, I think this would be very difficult for the club, but I hope that Lackovic and Balic may join us.

Eurohandball.com: You spoke about the national team. In the 90’s all Croatian stars played in Zagreb. The “Croatian handball wonder” started here with winning the Olympic Gold in Atlanta 1996. Is this the plan to build a new “all star team” for the national team again?

Dzomba: It is easier to be successful in the national team if we all play together in one club. We are Olympics gold medallists and World champions and we want to win even more titles.

Eurohandball.com: So the “project Zagreb” is carried out with a special focus on the 2009 World Championship in Croatia...

Dzomba: Of course, but at first we want to qualify for the Olympic Games in Beijing. I think, it’s harder to qualify for Olympics than to become Olympic champions. After that, our objective is to win the 2009 WCh. A new arena is being built for the WCh in Zagreb with a capacity of 15,000. It’s a dream for every sportsman to win a World championship at home, especially for handball-fanatic Croatians. You could see it in Germany this year, how important the spectators for a home team are. And I want to feel the same joy in 2009 that the Germans did this year.

Eurohandball.com: What would be more important to you: winning the Champions League with Zagreb or the World Champion in 2009?

Dzomba: Oh, this is a very tough question. I don’t know. I have to think it over. But in the end, both titles are very special. To be World Champion in your home country is a bit more exciting.

Eurohandball.com: You signed a three-year contract. Do you already have plans for life after handball?

Dzomba: Yes, I am just about to start a business. We are going to build and sell holiday apartments at the Croatian coast together with a partner of mine. So my next job will be real estate manager.