Roland Schlinger: No mistakes allowed

On Saturday A1 Bregenz opens the Champions League season in the “Handballarena” with a home game against Reale Ademar.

A1 Bregenz lost their first game last Sunday against the Swiss champion ZMC Amicitia Zurich in Switzerland with 25:35 (13:15). In the parallel game of the 1st round in group G the next opponents of the Vorarlberg-based Team, Reale Ademar of Spain, defeatet the French Champions League winner Montpellier AHB in Leon 25:21 (14:8). Topscorer on the side of the Spaniards in this victory was the Croat Damir Bicanic.

Starting with the regenerative training on Monday all the concentration of the team of trainer Martin Liptak lays on the Spanish top club. The plan for this week includes special video analysis of the Iberians as well as the individual prepararation for the respective opponent of each player.

The game is more than just his fourteenth Champions League appearance for a leadership personality in the team of Bregenz. The Viennese-born Roland Schlinger played one season for Reale Ademar two years ago. A1 Bregenz-spokesman David Hausmann met with the shooter for an interview.

Q: To start, how do you feel now?

Schlinger: After being sick last weekend I feel much better now. Last week's defeat still hurts, but the team has already checked off the defeat and already looks forward to the next opponent.

Q: What is the mood like within the team?

Schlinger: After a defeat your’re of course sad, but we are a team and help each other in such situations to stand up again. This already started on the way home from Zürich. Now we are back again in a good mood and fully devoted ourselves to the game on Saturday!

Q: Is the next game something special for you?

Schlinger: Every Champions League game is something special. This weekend the fact that Reale Ademar is my former club makes it even more so. I'm already looking forward to meet my old colleagues - and of course, I would like to show my best skills. But all that should not influence my performance against Ademar.

Q: What can you and your team do on Saturday against the Spaniards?

Schlinger: Reale Ademar are one of Europes top teams, they take advantage from each mistake their opponents makes. We need to concentrate and play as strong as in the first 20 minutes in Switzerland. There we almost played without mistakes, neither in defense nor in offense. If we play a strong defense and use our chances in offense, we can offer our fans once again an attractive game in the “Handballarena”.