Bombač: Calm before the storm

Slovenian club Cimos Koper are close to reaching a milestone. After battling against hosts Kielce in the first leg of their Last 16 clash, they trail by just one goal and have a great chance to make their first ever VELUX EHF Champions League quarter-finals appearance.

Vive Targi Kielce won 27:26 in the first leg match in Poland, and on Saturday (24 March) Cimos Koper will try to win in their home hall at Bonifika where a record number of spectators are expected to cheer their team on. One of the key players, Dean Bombač, is calm before the game but as he tells ehfCL.com, he feels just a little pressure.

ehfCL.com: You have a once in a lifetime opportunity in the VELUX EHF Champions League. How are you plotting to reach the quarter-finals?
Dean Bombač: We have to repeat our defensive play and try to score as many easy goals as we can. I believe each mistake will be punished, each missed 100 per cent opportunity to score can be fatal.

ehfCL.com: You were satisfied after the first game but do you think Kielce can play better?
Dean Bombač: We are aware of the quality of Kielce, at each playing position they have at least two top players. But that does not mean anything if you don’t take charge on the field. Nevertheless, we showed we can be equal to them.

ehfCL.com: They surprised you in Poland?
Dean Bombač: I must admit, I expected much more from such a team, given that the individuals they have are brilliant. We were all surprised when the captain of Slovenian National team Uroš Zorman played only 15 minutes. But this is good for us! We hope he will play for a short time in Koper too.

ehfCL.com: Do you feel pressure?
Dean Bombač: Pressure is always present. It must be clear, nobody can put any more burden on our shoulders, we know too well what is at stake. We want victory, we want to reach quarter-finals. We want to plot a big sensation on the European handball scene.

ehfCL.com: Is it the biggest game ever in your career?
Dean Bombač: For sure it is. It is something completely different from last year's finals in the EHF Challenge Cup. The nerves will be on edge before the referee whistles for start of the game. What is important is our calmness and good start – something we don’t usually manage! Certainly, it will be more difficult than first game because Kielce play better in away games. We want to write Koper handball history – even if we only win by one goal and advance to the next round.