Leon fear bad omen from the past

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In 2004 Ademar were eliminated by Celje despite a 13-goal advantage in the first leg of the Last 16. When Reale Ademar Leon beat Füchse Berlin last Saturday (21 April) 34:23 in the first leg of the quarter -finals, the margin of victory was unexpected and even the Berlin squad said that they need much more than a miracle to proceed to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne.

But Leon feel a little insecure about the re-match on Sunday in Berlin, after being in a similar situation in the past.

It was the EHF Men's Champions League season 2003/2004, when Ademar Leon faced RK Pivovarna Lasko Celje in the Last 16. The Spanish side – with famous players like the current VELUX EHF Champions League quarter-finalists Kasper Hvidt (now AG Kobenhavn) or Raul Entrerrios (now FC Barcelona Intersport) – played an extraordinary first leg at home, beating the Slovenians 38:25 – and seemed to have reached the quarter-finals already.

But the second leg was the worst defeat in club history: Celje – with current VELUX EHF Champions League quarter-finalists Siarhei Rutenka (now Barcelona) or Matjaz Brumen (now Cimos Koper) – turned the page completely and took a 34:21 home victory – thanks largely to a fatal mistake by Leon: As Petar Metlicic and Kristian Kjelling had minor injuries they stayed at home after the clear victory in the first leg.

"They could have played, and the decision to leave them out was very expensive," coach Isidoro Martinez says. Due to the larger number of away goals RK Celje proceded to the quarter-finals – and later-on became EHF Men's Champions League champions.

Two figures of the 2003/04 clashes with Celje are still in the current team of Reale Ademar Leon: Coach Isidoro Martinez, who had been assistant coach of Manolo Cadenas in 2004 and wing player Denis Kryvoshlykov.

"When I was asked if we had already made our way to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 after the clear victory over Berlin, the first thing I remembered was this episode of 2004. Obviously 11 goals should be enough under normal conditions and circumstances, but history shows it is not," Ademar President Carlos Pollan was quoted in the newspaper Diario de Leon. But he added: "I have full confidence that our team this year will proceed."