Joining Györ to win titles
The name of Serbian international Andrea Lekić became known through her years at Krim Ljubljana, where she was one of the main pillars of the team, both in attack, and defence.
Nowadays she is considered to be one of the best playmakers in women’s handball, and is renowned for scoring after fast breaks and quick counter-attacks.
The 24 year-old has brought a breath of fresh air to her new club Győri AUDI ETO, along with new colleagues Heidi Løke and Jovanka Radičević, and the club is one of the favourites for winning this season’s EHF Champions League.
ehfCL.com: You left a very successful Krim club and signed for Győri AUDI ETO, a team that reached the semi-final five consecutive times in the EHF Champions League. How do you feel about the move and what is the difference between the two clubs?
Andrea Lekić: I played a long time for Krim and when I left Ljubljana, the reason was very simple: I wanted to join one of the best teams in the world, one that has the biggest chance of winning the EHF Champions League.
I feel good and well integrated in Hungary. We have a nice club and the team spirit is great as well.
ehfCL.com: At Krim you were a 60-minute player, whereas in Győr you play much less. Does this bother you?
Andrea Lekić: No, it does not bother me, as in today’s handball it is almost impossible, both mentally and physically, to play over the complete time. Fortunately, we have a great squad with players of equal quality. Our coach Csaba Konkoly can switch between different attacking and defensive formations, and therefore, he can rotate well.
ehfCL.com: After winning all of your preparation and league games so far, in the EHF Champions League you lost in Round 1 against Randers. How big is the disappointment and what was missing, in your opinion?
Andrea Lekić: We were going to Denmark with the intention of winning, but Randers played very well and we had a lot of problems with selection of shots. Their goalkeeper Chana Masson was excellent and they had very good team play. We have already started to think about Sunday’s match, and there is no time for disappointment, because we have to focus on this next very important match.
ehfCL.com: Your further opponents in the group are Metz and Hypo. What do you know about them?
Andrea Lekić: All of them are good teams. We played against Hypo, strengthened by several Brazilian internationals, in the preparation, so we know them very well. No surprises should happen, but even so, they are still not to be underestimated.
We also played against Metz in Germany recently, so we are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They are also a good team, but as we have great ambition, we will need to beat them all to progress further and achieve our dream.
ehfCL.com: What can you and the team learn from the Round 1 game and what are your expectations for the first home match against Metz on Sunday?
Andrea Lekić: We are aware that it’s going to be a hard task against Metz. We have to concentrate more and start aggressively from the very first minute.
ehfCL.com: As a young player did you have any role model in handball?
Andrea Lekić: Yes, I had some. They were playmakers and I tried to 'steal' some good movements and tactics from them which I could adapt to my own style.
ehfCL.com: Serbia recently won the EURO in men’s volleyball. Did you follow the championship? What does this success mean to you and your country?
Andrea Lekić: I followed it and I was among the spectators at the final in Vienna! It was a great moment and I felt very proud for my country for winning this tournament.
Our people like sport very much, so sometimes the expectations are way too high and we do not meet the high expectations they set. This time it wasn’t expected that Serbia would win, but they did, and so, big celebrations followed afterwards in Belgrade.
ehfCL.com: You are closely connected with your fans via two fan clubs, one in Romania and one in Hungary. What do your fans mean to you?
Andrea Lekić: The fans mean a lot to me. I always enjoy meeting and talking to them. Someone recently asked how I remain motivated when leading by 20+ goals against a team with still some time to be played in the match. I told him that I look around and see the audience that came to the hall to see us. This should be sufficient motivation for us to perform at a continuously high level.
I remember the Hungarian fan club that put up a poster at a Krim match when I was still playing there. First, it was a shock, and I was even a bit nervous during the warm-up!
I’m delighted to have fans from abroad that appreciate my play. It was also very nice to see them again at the preparation tournament in Siófok, Hungary!
ehfCL.com: How about your shirt number – is 7 your lucky number?
Andrea Lekić: Well, you could say that... Actually, I started as No.7 in the early phase of my career, but this number was already taken by my former team mate Maryna Vergeliuk-Strile when I joined Krim. Therefore, I went for No.77, and I also use this number for Győri AUDI ETO, but I still use No.7 in the National Team.
TEXT:
Márk Hegedüs