Ambitious S. D. Itxako

After having won the EHF Cup in 2008/09, the Spanish clubSociedad Deportiva Itxako appeared in the EHF Champions League for the first time and offered good handball. Still the team only made it to the Group Stage.

Coach Ambros Martin’s team might not have been lucky in the EHF Champions League but Itxako have won every club competition in Spain: the championship, the Spanish Cup and the Super Cup.

By winning the league, the team from Estella-Lizarra are planning to participate in the upcoming EHF Champions League season with new objectives and some new players. S. D. Itxako signed five new players with international experience in order to improve their performance at their second appearance in this competition.

For the right side they found two players from Spanish league rivals. Right wing Carmen Martín joins from Mar Alicante, and so does Elda Prestigio’s left handed Romanian Oana Soit.

Itxaco also signed two Russian players, left wing Emilia Turey from FC Copenhagen and line player Natalia Kurbanova coming from Lada Togliatti.

Additionally they managed to transfer the French national team captain Raphaelle Tervel from EHF Champions League semi-finalist Larvik.

Portuguese Alexandrina Barbosa arrived in Estella last winter. Then she was not eligible for the EHF Champions League but she is now. Ambros Martin still wants to sign a second goalkeeper to support Silvia Navarro.

Conchi Berenguel, Eli Pinedo, Nely Carla Alberto, Laura Cracium, Cristina Rodhe and Marieke Van der Wall have left the club.

Itxako’s new objective for the upcoming season is to be more competitive in European competitions.