"The hardest task for two years"

The winner of last season's Women's Cup Winners' Cup, FTC need to get past Viborg again to win the final this year. Coach Gábor Elek talks about the chances.

Eurohandball.com: How have Viborg changed since last season?

Gábor Elek: They are a lot stronger. One year ago Varzaru could not play, and I guess Grit Jurack is in much better form right now. They also have a new playmaker, Isabelle Gulldén who scores a massive amount of goals. I do not have to intoduce their two playmakers, Althaus and Frafjord, who were excellent players last season and again this year.

Left winger Maria Fisker has joined their team and she is a faster and fitter player than Henriette Mikkelsen in my opinion. Beside them Pernille Holst Larsen can play at all the center positions. There are still Pedersen and Due in the goal, so we will face a really strong team. Unfortunately for us, they are in much better form than last year.

Eurohandball.com: What about your team? Is there anything you can do to improve your form ahead of the Cup Winners' Cup?

Gábor Elek: Yes, absolutely. But this is a good question if we still can improve our form to the finals. We have to, if we would like to defend our title. We have already beaten three Russian teams this season, but I guess they are not as strong mentally as the Danish. So I don’t doubt that this will be the hardest match for two years in Cup Winners' Cup.

Eurohandball.com: Do you think it is a difficult situation that your team has to play the second leg in Denmark?

Gábor Elek: It is maybe not such a problem because we start at home. If we win by a large difference that would give us a good base for the second leg, but if we don’t it will be difficult to fight back in Denmark. So we will try to think positive and ask everybody in the hall to show maximum support.