Dujshebaev’s authority is the key

Eurohandball talks to Petar Metlicic. The Croatian international tells us about the authority of Talant Dujshebaev, his organisation skills and the great atmosphere in Ciudad Real.

The right back player won three EHF trophies in the past four years. In 2005 he won Cup Winners’ Cup with Ademar Leon, in 2006 and 2008 Metlicic took the Champions League trophy with Ciudad Real.

Eurohandball.com: You have been playing for Ciudad Real a long time now. People have little knowledge about how such a big club as Ciudad Real function. Are you all highly professional players, or do you spend time together after trainings?

Petar Metlicic: I spent four years here. Many players changed, but the core of the team remained the same. Our coach, Talant, keeps us together on and off the court. This is our secret. He uses all players with great success. He has great authority, but you can also talk to him about anything.

Eurohandball.com: What is the atmosphere like with so many top class individuals?

Petar Metlicic: The atmosphere is excellent, which is amazing especially if you know how many top players you have to put together. This atmosphere, in my opinion, was a key factor in winning all these trophies. There are great names in our team now, but we are all just part of a team.

Eurohandball.com: And what happens when Ciudad Real lose?

Petar Metlicic: Nothing really happens. Talant gets mad, but it is normal. He tells every player what didn’t work well and he tries to motivate the player to do better next time. Defeat is not tragic, it’s only one game. Today we lost, tomorrow we will win. The best example is the CL Final against Kiel.

This club has great traditions. And clubs with great traditions reach a certain level in at least 5-6 years. So making fuss out of a defeat is not good. It is done only in small clubs. The most important thing is to have a goal and go for it.

Eurohandball.com: On 15 December you will celebrate your 32nd birthday. Any plans for the future? Where do you wish to finish your carrier?

Petar Metlicic: It is certain that I will leave Spain when my contract will expire in 2010. My wish is to return home to Croatia. Maybe I’ll continue playing handball, maybe I won’t. The only possibility to continue playing handball in Croatia is Zagreb. I had some talks earlier, but for now I’m focused on my tasks in Ciudad Real. I want to get the job done here first and then think about the future.